With Fire Comes Shadow
by Yol'Do Vokun
Summary: Not everything is as easy as it seems. Blake/Yang Romance tied with the main plot. Not canon Fantasy/Action/Romance. Hope you like it! c:
1. Chapter 1

**Authors Note: This is probably going to be quite a long story. With that said, read and make your own opinions. :3**

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There was a faint breeze blowing through the trees, barely enough to unsettle the leaves. It was almost the middle of summer, and heat was an issue on this cloudless day, pushing the majority of the creatures of the forest into the shade. It also meant anyone traversing these trees would inevitably make a lot of noise, for the ground was scattered with various rocks, branches and plants. It'd be impossible to move without a sound, and yet someone was.

Each footfall was expertly placed to avoid any conspicuous noise, yet attention was not focused on being silent. She was completely absorbed in one of the few things she enjoyed, a book. Absent-mindedly weaving between trunks as though it were second nature, Blake Belladonna was utterly engrossed with her reading. Pathfinding was almost instinctive for her, and so was awareness. She knew she was being followed, but she made no attempt to alter her behaviour to suit. She merely continued on her winding way, occasionally stopping for a brief second to take in her surroundings. Whoever was behind her was most likely unaware of her observational talents, and therefore assuming she was as perceptive as the average person.

It took her a moment to form a makeshift schedule, she was due for class in an hour. First, she would spend a leisurely 10 minutes or so reading, and then confront her pursuer through the best means she had; stealth. Relaying her plans in her mind, she would announce her destination seemingly to herself, and then unintentionally lose her tail.

Whoever it was would automatically head to where she had intended to go, and Blake knew that fact full well. She would get there her own way, and position herself in such a manner that she could pinpoint her pursuers hiding spot and set herself up accordingly. It would almost be fun, if she found being tailed enjoyable.

She arrived at a small clearing, ringed by various shrubs and bushes, and stood dead center in the middle of it. Closing her book with one hand, she stood still for a second. Sighing with false displeasure at her time constraints, she muttered just loud enough for her watcher to hear. "Well, I suppose I'd better start heading back. Maybe take the mountain path this time. The sooner I'm done with classes today the better."

And with that, she continued on her way, the tiniest of smirks dancing across her face as she heard a slight rustling back to her left, far too hushed to be anything threatening, yet far too large to be something that wasn't a human. It was time to act.

Blake scouted the area ahead for potential places where she could slip away undetected, and settled on a cluster of ferns between two average sized tree-trunks. The fronds were easily as tall as she was, so once through them vanishing from sight would be easy. She would wait for the inevitable 'loss', and stealthily make her way to the foot of the path at the bottom of the cliff-face overlooking the forest, well before her mystery follower would arrive.

She spent much of her time in the trees, agility was one of her fortes, along with imperceptible reflexes and a calculating mind. She performed the action flawlessly, and heard the unmistakable sound of stifled cursing. She took several moments to listen for any signs of company, and once satisfied she was alone, she began to make her way back with a purposeful speed. The branches hardly bent under her weight, as she was experienced in weight management. It wouldn't have been a very good idea to advertise her presence to the various Grimm that inhabited the area.

While moving eerily quietly from treetop to treetop, her mind began to wander back into her books. They gave her the freedom to imagine whatever she wanted, to immerse herself in the world that someone else had created. She felt like a part of it, even if she was only an observer. They brought her happiness, and that was a rare thing to have.

It didn't take long for Blake to arrive at her destination, and she was confident she had ample time to set herself up in an optimal position before company arrived. The area was largely enclosed, with little light reaching through the gaps in the leaves to the forest floor. It was shaded, and darkness was her friend. She knew exactly how to react to it, that it gave her a safe haven and a large advantage.

It took her a moment to get into position, perched on a fork between two branches, with her back brushing against the old wood. She had a superb viewpoint from here, as the leaves below her would shelter her from below, and the natural openings in the foliage allowed her to survey a large amount of the immediate area at once. It was silent again, the wind had died. No matter how skilled, whoever came here would make their presence known, intentional or otherwise. Blake was sure of it.

While waiting, she contemplated the possibilities. Just who would have reason to follow her? Attempt to hide themselves from her? Ruby was far too inexperienced in the stealth field for that. Blake highly doubted that Weiss would attempt to make conversation, let alone tail her through a forest in her own free time. She most likely had far more important things to be doing. No, neither of those. She had watched the entirety of JNPR make their way towards combat practice before she left, and that only left one person.

Yang was certainly not the best at subtlety, but neither was she the embodiment of loud. Sure, she was a very open and outward person, and she had a tendency to act on impulse, but never just because she could. Blake settled somewhat on the assumption that Yang would be the most likely suspect. Assuming such, what would she be doing? There was no fathomable reason for her to be hiding from her partner, so why would she be acting this way?

Blake was pulled from her thoughts by a movement in her peripheral vision. Almost right on cue, she caught a shadowy figure in the corner of her eye, walking very slowly and very quietly towards the beginning of the path, where grass gave way to dirt and rock.

Whoever it was, they were not too conspicuous. They also took to the shelter of the upper branches before Blake could pinpoint their appearance. They resided in an undersized, fairly young tree some distance from the rockface. The forest resumed behind them, while open ground surrounded their front.

Blake silently slid down to the ground, then half-crouched, half-ran in a wide arc around the back of the area, paying extra attention to the various objects littering the ground that could betray her position. Nothing calmed Blake more than dead silence. She found tranquility in the lack of noise. It soothed her. She paused briefly to grasp a small stone, half the size of her fist. She held onto it firmly in her left hand, and gently pressed herself against one of the boulders that lay half buried into the earth.

The ambusher was just ahead of her, and was about to become the ambushed. She gently threw the stone in a low arc, watching with held breath as it sailed through the air, making a muffled whump as it made impact with the grass. Immediately, the foliage above her rustled, attention had been focused on her distraction.

She took her chance and scaled the trunk, making as little noise as she could. Within seconds she had placed herself directly back and to the right of her pursuer, they were perched precariously on an already bending branch, only just thick enough to support their weight. Blake silently took Gambol Shroud from her back and withdrew the katana from within. She positioned it according to the angle of the wood that was slowly buckling, and swung upwards in one clean motion.

A very audible crack tore through the silence, followed immediately by a loud thud, as Blake retreated to the left of her previous position, utilizing an opening in the branches to gain a clear view of her quarry. She was looking at the back of someone, of a moderate size and build, most likely female from the way they righted themselves. And certainly someone who was quick to act, for no sooner had they stood were they sprinting towards the lonely pathway, either startled or embarrassed; Blake could not tell which.

They moved with purpose, but the instant they bolted into the sunlight, Blake knew who had attempted to tail her. But not why. It begged the question, and she would find out in her own time. She slid down effortlessly back to the dirt, and spent a relaxing five minutes sitting at the base of the tree. She pondered her options and possibilities.

She was gently reminded of more pressing matters, as she tilted her head gently at a faint tapping sound. It was gradually followed by another, then another, in rising pace. She glanced upwards, and noticed a bank of dull grey cloud had rolled in overhead. As much as she would've loved to remain where she was, to listen to the harmony of rainfall, the path would become treacherous very quickly. The rain would, and regularly did dislodge loose rocks from their dirt holdings. She had no choice but to make her way back to Beacon.

Sighing with slight reluctance to leave one of her favourite pastimes, she rose to her feet and began scaling the winding trail with haste. She was by no means rushing, but she wasn't about to linger when her climb was getting more risky by the second. As she rose above the canopy of the forest and approached the roof of the stone cliff, she considered a thought. "How do you hide something where nobody will find it?"


	2. Chapter 2

The sudden downpour had taken everyone by surprise, and the rain came down in sheets, drenching anyone unlucky or uncaring enough to be in the open. The vast majority of students had left the courtyard due to classes bearing down on them, but there was one person who had some time to spare.

Tucked away in the corner, leaning slightly against one of the many walls of the Academy was a figure, their arms resting on their knees as they drew deep, ragged lungfuls of air. They were soaked to the skin, hair plastered to their back and shoulders like glue. They remained this way for a while, gradually normalizing their breathing and standing upright, just in time to catch a cloaked figure darting down the main pathway, holding their hood over their face and running as fast as they could. It was difficult to mistake them for anyone else, and as they approached the center archway, they stopped momentarily by a familiar call to their left.

"Hey Ruby, where've you been? Don't you have class in like, five minutes?" Ruby turned and pulled her hood back slightly, just enough to see her older sister against the wall, gesturing with one hand behind her towards the building. Her normally wild blond hair was as flat as the floor she stood on, and she looked as though she'd just swam through a lake. Not that you'd be able to tell that from her cheery voice, or the energy with which she radiated.

Ruby slid under the shelter of the arch and pulled her hood back; it hadn't protected her face from the cold, as her nose was as red as her cape, matching her cheeks and ears. She yelled over the rain back to her sister. "No, class doesn't start for another hour! I'm going back to the dorm and drying off, are you coming?" She would've pointed, but while one hand was holding her hood up against the rapidly changing wind, the other was clutching something just out of sight, hidden behind her torso.

Yang took a few short bounds and gently ushered her younger sister through the marble archway, towards the warmth and dryness of Beacon. Anything would be preferable to this level of precipitation. They walked side by side hurriedly through the open doors and snaked their way through the maze of corridors and rooms until eventually, they arrived outside their dorm room. By now, the heat of the building was starting to show, as the majority of their clothes had stopped dripping on the way. Ruby pushed open the door first, and promptly threw her cloak onto the coat-rack and made a beeline for the bathroom, shutting the door behind her.

Yang too had removed her sodden jacket, hanging it adjacent to Ruby's personal attire. She kicked off her boots and began the methodical business of changing into her nice, dry sleepwear. While doing so, a slightly muffled call came from behind the bathroom door. "Do you know where Weiss and Blake are? I didn't see them while I was outside, do they have classes like most of us today?" Ruby inquired with her usual spirit. Yang slowed down for a second, her pulse quickened slightly and she looked around nervously, even though she was the only one in the room.

"Uh, no, no I don't." She replied, cringing slightly at the waver in her voice. She quickly followed it up with a subject change, lest Ruby try to continue on the topic. "Whew, didn't expect that rain though, did you? I bet people got soaked!" By this point she was largely finished with her work for the day. She only had one piece of studying to finish, and then she had the rest of the evening to do as she pleased.

She finished changing and snatched her research material from a pile of her belongings beside the bookshelf. She climbed up onto the top bunk and flopped on her back, giving a long sigh. She was quickly reminded that it wasn't safe to relax just yet, as Rubys voice came through the wall again.

"No, I really didn't." she said, somewhat distant. Just as Yang was about to ask her if everything was alright, she was interrupted by that very question from Ruby. "Are you okay? You seem a little...eeh, off. Did something happen?"

"Welll..." Yang began, quickly catching herself mid-answer and changing her reply to fit. "I just wasn't expecting such a big change in the weather, that's all. I had to run back here and it's not easy when you can slip, y'know?" She replied, without realizing her mistake. She was physically and mentally tired, all she wanted was to rest. She released a quiet sigh and murmured to herself.

"Study first, sleep later." Her eyes rolled absent-mindedly, and she flipped open one of her books and started taking notes, such was the downside of learning how to kill monsters. Every now and then she would glance behind her out of the window, only to be met with a monotonous sky and raindrops winding their way down the glass. It wasn't dark, but it certainly wasn't as bright as she would've liked.

Before long, the bathroom door to her right opened and Ruby came out in what Yang could only assume was a spare uniform. She looked dry, but it was difficult to tell. She gave a half smile to he sister as she checked the dampness of her beloved cloak. Yang smirked a little, reading the displeasure in Rubys face. "Still wet?" she asked with a faint mocking tone. Ruby shot her a glare.

"Yeah, I just hope it'll dry before I have to go for class again. Why did it have to rain today?" Ruby questioned as she climbed onto her top bunk and pulled out various books and sheets of paper, tossing them on her bed in a large, untidy mess. Yang raised an eyebrow as she watched, twirling her pencil around her index and middle finger while she thought about what to do. She tilted her head to the side slightly and inquired about Rubys schedule. "Which class is it?"

"Uuh, let's see." Came the reply as Ruby rummaged through her pile of things to find her schedule notepad. "Now where did I put it..." she muttered, casting objects left and right with little regard to where they landed. "Ah ha! Found it! Now, the class I have next is..." she began, trailing her finger along the page with an almost comical level of concentration. "Written Geography. Uugh...I am not looking forward to that." she concluded her sentence with emphasis on the 'not', which elicited a snicker from Yang. Ruby continued. "At least you don't have to do anything else today, I have three more classes!" she whined. Yang merely nodded her head and stuck a thumbs up in the direction of Ruby, apparently engrossed in her studying.

"Well, sometimes that's what the schedules are like. You'll get time for yourself, don't worry about it." Yang remarked, tinting her voice with the warm edge she was used to using. Despite this, her attention wasn't focused on her younger sisters complaints, and this did not make Ruby happy.

"I may as well head off early, you're clearly too busy to talk to your sis." She remarked. Without waiting for a response, she gathered all her books and papers, stuffed them all into her bag, hopped off the top bunk and exited the room. Snatching her cloak off the hook as she left, she almost knocked over the stand. Just as the door clicked shut, Yang stopped trying to study and instead closed her book, pushed it and her notes to the foot of her bed and sat up, spinning herself around 180 degrees so she was facing the window.

She folded her legs, rested her hands in her lap and watched the rain splash against the glass. She listened too, each tap of a raindrop was different from the last, and to the first, but when they came in this volume it was difficult to make out any pattern at all. She could barely make out some greenish shapes through the blur of water, and guessed that the wind had picked up severely since she was last out. It was practically non-existent just an hour or so ago, and yet now it was shaping up to be a storm.

"Just great. This is exactly how I want to spend my free time." She mumbled dryly to herself, propping her elbow on her knee and resting her head in her palm. She had planned to spend the majority of today outside, doing physical exercises like she enjoyed, but there was no point in even trying when visibility was this low and the temperature was that cold. Not to mention the rain and the wind making things worse.

She really didn't feel like she could focus on learning things right now, and so she didn't even try to continue with her work. Instead, she gazed in quiet contemplation, a rare thing for her to do. Yang was normally a very active person, but when she had other choice, she'd sit and watch whatever held her interest. In this instance, the rain reminded her of someone, in a way that she wasn't quite sure.

She pondered over the thought for a minute, and threw her arms up in protest. She was tired, and she knew that someone would wake her up at some point, so she decided to let it go for now. She didn't even bother to get under her covers, she simply lay down with an audible whump and closed her eyes, and very quickly found sleep carrying her away.


	3. Chapter 3

It was the lull between classes, and the corridors were empty. Footsteps echoed throughout the halls, someone was in no hurry. It was eerily quiet, usually there was general background noise from all the various activities going on, but there was only the rain bouncing against the windows to accompany her footfalls.

She had completed her indoor combat practice and was making her way back to the relative comfort of her dorm, hoping certain people were absent. She had no problems with one of her teammates, a quiet, calm girl who kept to herself. The other two were a far bigger problem. She didn't understand how they could be so frustratingly cheerful, let alone how they attempted to involve her in ideas. She was tolerating them, but she still wished that they would leave her alone from time to time. She had no tolerance for most people.

She came to a halt just outside the door, and briefly considered knocking. If there was somebody in here, she didn't care what they were doing, only that they left her to herself. Pushing it open with minimal fuss, she was greeted by an empty room. She smiled internally, this was exactly what she had hoped for. Stepping inside, she was greeted with a peculiar scene.

There were clothing items scattered on the floor between the four beds, and a mildly damp brown jacket hanging to her left. Were it not for her moderate fatigue, she would've noted the trail of water leading to the bathroom door, and boots lying half-underneath Blakes bottom bunk. She placed her rapier gently at the foot of her own and reached over to retrieve her schedule.

She had an optional assignment that she would've completed today, but the idea of being outside in this weather for no good reason didn't really appeal to her. She gently pulled her suitcase out from underneath her bed and clicked it open. She spent a minute or so looking through the contents, then closed the lid with a bang. Someone behind her instantly made a large amount of noise.

She stood and spun, moving to the foot of the beds to get a better look. Not that it was needed, as a very messy-haired pile of yellow hair was half-hanging off the top bunk, bright lilac eyes half closed. They were blinking lazily as Yang sat up, murmuring something incomprehensible in her drowsy state. She looked around slowly, catching her head when it threatened to loll to the side. "Wah..what's going on? Who'sat? Weiss? When did you get back?" Yang barely managed to make the words form a coherent sentence.

Weiss stood, taking the sight before her in. Yangs hair resembled a lions mane, it curled and flowed in every direction, even more untamed than usual. Her orange pyjama shirt was pulled to one side, with the collar both clinging to her neck and trying to contain her arm. Yangs shoulders were usually hidden from sight by her jacket, but Weiss did note how they were far more toned and muscular than most. She assumed it was due to the physical style of fighting Yang used, a very unladylike fashion of dispatching foes.

Weiss put the tips of her fingers onto her forehead and shook it slowly. "What have you been doing? Why do you even look like that?" Were it not for the beds, Weiss could've been mistaken for intruding on an after-fight recuperation with the way Yang looked. She looked up and was distinctly unimpressed with the reply.

"Well... uh... I was out in the rain and I came back here with Ruby. Then she left, I think... and then I guess I fell asleep? Oh!" She added, her usual energetic manner returning slowly. "I was also studying forrr, something, and I can't quite remember what..." she trailed off, glancing around her and scratching the back of her head, completely oblivious to the book to her left. She shrugged and turned back to Weiss. "So, where've you been?" she inquired, getting more awake by the second.

Weiss gave her a half-stare half-glare, and remarked harshly. "It's none of your business where I've been, so keep your nose out of other peoples affairs." Yang winced slightly, but this didn't dampen her spirits.

"C'mon, you can tell me, right? I just wanna know if you got caught in the rain like the rest of us, that's all." She remarked, tilting her head slightly and smiling warmly. She rested her hands in her lap, and sat cross-legged. Weiss spent another minute staring, trying to figure out how blind one person could be.

"And you can't answer that yourself just by looking at these dry, pure white clothes that I'm wearing? Of course I didn't get wet you moron, I didn't go outside." Weiss snapped, straightening her posture even further and crossing her arms tightly. She wasn't happy with her current company. Yang firmed her tone of voice and retorted.

"Alright princess, calm your head. I just woke up. Relax, jeez." She was about to follow this up, but was interrupted by a very cold reply.

"I will not relax while you're here. It's far too dangerous." Weiss said, narrowing her eyes further. She didn't dislike Yang, but sometimes her curiosity could be very annoying. "And before you say anything else, no, I'm not going to do anything of the relaxing sort. But I have a question for you. Where were you when you claimed you'd be at the combat practice that started over an hour ago? I heard you discussing it with Ruby, so don't try to back out of it." She queried, taking a step towards Yang and maintaining her withering glare. This time Yang visibly flinched.

"Yeaah, about that...I got a little, eeh, distracted. You know how it goes-" she began, once again being stopped by Weiss.

"No I don't. When I set out to do something, I do it first, because then it's done. Do you see the value in that?" Her words were cold, but she did make sense.

"So I didn't show up, what's the big deal? It's not as if you care about what I do." Yang leaned over the edge of the bed, a sly grin painting itself on her face. "Or do you?" She challenged, locking eyes with her teammate.

"Wha-. No, of course I don't! But that's not the point." Weiss stammered slightly, only to be intercepted by Yang.

"The point is, you find my whereabouts to be something you need to know. I have a few ideas on this theory, but maybe you can help me out?" Her wolfish grin expanded, eyes daring Weiss to continue.

Weiss found herself somewhat lost for words. She struggled to find a sufficient response, she wasn't used to being challenged in this manner. Usually the people she dealt with were all the same, but Yang was different. "Are you implying what I think you are?" She asked, keeping her voice steady.

"Well. That depends on what you think I'm implying."

Weiss kept her eyes focused directly on Yangs own. She was tempted to try her luck more, but Weiss's gaze warned her otherwise. It would be pointless to aggravate her teammate over something as trivial as this, and so Yang let it slide. She sat back against her pillow with her hands behind her head, with one leg hanging lazily off the knee of the other. A smile still dancing across her lips.

"Alright, I'll stop." She replied simply. She enjoyed toying with Weiss, as the heiress reacted the most to Yangs taunts. Ruby was of course a different kind altogether, and so Yang reserved special sibling treatment for her little sister. And then there was Blake.

Yang didn't really understand her partner. She wasn't antisocial as such, but she made no attempts to get to know anybody outside of her team. There were very few people she talked to with more than utter indifference. And yet, she was perfectly okay with some of the more senseless activities that the sisters came up with, going so far as to play along if she felt like joining in. Yang didn't even notice Weiss leave, so absorbed into her thoughts. She was alone again.


	4. Chapter 4

It was verging on the beginnings of evening when Blake had returned from her history class, not that she'd be able to tell from the dull grey that clouded the entire sky and called down ceaseless rain. It'd been like this for nearly three hours now, and showed no signs of slowing down. It was the late afternoon final rush to lectures, with students of varying sizes and shapes bustling and pushing past eachother through the narrow halls.

Blake knew better than to try and force her way through. If she were in a hurry, she'd most likely take one of the longer, but quieter and faster routes around the bottlenecks. She had nothing else planned for today, so she was content to lean her head against the wall next to one of the windows and wait. She noted the expressions of all the people jostling by. It intrigued her how different every person was, how different she was. She was fine with being different, it distanced her from the majority of people, and she was happy with that.

As the stream of students began to thin and flow easier, she picked her way through the dwindling crowds, swiftly sidestepping possible collisions, usually by people too busy to watch where they're going. She held her folder of notes and research close to her chest with one hand, and used the other for avoiding the stragglers who were in a rush.

She passed nobody else as she wound her way towards her dorm. She had experience with finding her way in disorientating areas, forests were a lot worse than this. The rain hammered continuously, lending a background ambience she was comfortable in. Most people would've found the empty corridors eerie and unnerving, but silence and loneliness were by no means something she feared. On the contrary, she was far more content with nothing to interrupt her from her thoughts. Of course, she had to make some exceptions now that she was part of a team and sharing a room with three other people, but for the most part nothing had changed. She distanced herself from them as much as she could, and they somewhat left her to her own.

Weiss of course had no interest, and therefore didn't even try. Ruby attempted on multiple occasions, though she was awkward and clumsy in her endeavours. Blake simply humoured her, as she was far too stubborn, or maybe dense, to understand how Blake felt about being sociable. A smile and gentle rebuffs were all it took. Yang was easily the most headache-inducing of the three. Blake did her best to get along with her, but she didn't seem to notice the personal boundaries Blake had erected. Either that, or she didn't care and intruded regardless. Which seemed a lot more likely.

She found herself standing just short of her dorm-room door. Once again her mind had wandered, and she had lost track of time. She was very used to losing hours on end to her reflecting, but she didn't care. It gave her tranquility that was never quite matched anywhere else. She mentally shrugged and pushed open the door, and scanned the room without a second thought.

There was a white suitcase poking slightly out from underneath Weiss's bed, and remnants of shoeprints heading towards the closed bathroom door. There was a single book missing from the shelf between the four beds, and a pair of brown boots on the floor. Glancing to her left, a brown jacket was hanging askew on the hanger, thrown there without much attention to where it landed. Ruby had been in here, caught in the rain. Yang was most likely sleeping on her bed, her uniform still folded semi-neatly on the desk to her right. Weiss had certainly paid a visit at some point, due to the faint sweet scent in the air. It wasn't a perfect scenario, but provided she kept Yang asleep, she could read her book in peace.

She picked her way over the various pieces of clothing on the floor and lightly placed her folder on the end-table to the left of her bed. She methodically changed from her uniform into her normal attire, wrapped it into a neat pile of folds, put them beside her bedside table and took out the book she was currently reading.

Her pillow was propped against the headboard, she sat in a comfortable position on top of the bedclothes and flicked through the pages until she arrived at her current page. Bookmarks weren't needed, her memory was impressive. Aside from the noise outside which she had fine-tuned into the background, the only sound was the occasional movement above her, where Yang was re-arranging herself to be more comfortable in her sleep.

Blake almost smiled to herself, at some point or another today, she'd tease information out of Yang, partly to reaffirm her already strong suspicions, and partly because she wanted answers. She'd 'interrogate' her partner while she was largely still asleep, too tired to think quickly enough to dodge Blakes questions. This was the kind of interaction she enjoyed, pulling all the correct strings without the other person even being aware.

Much of the next twenty minutes or so went quietly, with only a brief period of unrest as the resting Yang almost fell off her bunk. Blake didn't understand how someone could sleep so deeply yet have reflexes such as Yangs. It did highlight to Blake how fast Yang could react were, something she didn't have time to observe in combat before. Yang was very much like a whirlwind in battle, not to mention Blake usually had a fight of her own in action while they were training together. She may have a very direct and destructive fighting style, but she could evade counterattacks just as easily as she could deliver a punch to a jaw. Blake admired her for that, not many people would attempt to get so close to something as potentially lethal as a Grimm, and yet Yang did it practically on a daily basis.

"It's much better when the other thing is actually trying to kill me!" She'd responded with her usual cheery note upon being asked by Blake. Her logic did make sense. "In a life or death situation, your reflexes will be inevitably heightened, not to mention the adrenalin allowing for previously daunting feats to be completed. I suppose it would also allow her to experiment with various combinations and offensive moves to allow a greater variety of attacking options. There is only so much you can learn by fighting that which does not aim to kill you."

Blake contemplated further, exploring scenarios and possibilities in which Yang would expand her offensive array of options further. She was not really a defensive type of person, and so killing before you're killed applied multiple times over to her. Large amounts of rapid damage, concussive blows and stunning her opponents all played a large part in how Yang fought.

Yet more time passed, with Blake estimating the outcomes of various conflicts against a multitude of opponents. She applied what she knew about Yangs personality and general mannerisms to more mundane events. This particular area of thought was interesting to her, though she wasn't entirely sure why. She spent perhaps a little too much time considering how such times would play out.

She was adding to her profile of Yang, something of an ongoing project for her. Knowing the people close to her was one of her top priorities, for she should know precisely how to deal with them should the need ever arise. Her speculations were cut short as she heard characteristically rushed footsteps echoing outside.

Even before she could close her book and place it beside her did the door swing open, with a red-faced, out-of-breath Ruby stumbling in with a bulging bag of objects. Her loud panting and ragged breaths were sufficient to awake her sister. Even though her conscious side was still waking up, evidenced by her slurred and jumbled speech, her instincts were still sharp. She sat bolt upright and her eyes shot open, relaxing immediately upon recognizing the 'intruder'.

"Let me guess." Blake stated calmly, in stark contrast to the air of activity that surrounded the two sisters. "You forgot something vital to your next class, and you ran all the way here to retrieve it before you're late."

Ruby took another sharp lungful of air and replied with short breaths. "How did you know? I forgot to get my anatomy sketches for-" Blake finished the sentence for her.

"For Professor Port, I know. They're in your drawer, underneath the bullet clips you keep in there." She responded without a hint of explanation. Ruby didn't have time to ask the older girl about what else she knew, she was on a very tight schedule.

"Okay, I knew that. But thank you anyway Blake, I appreciate the help!" She replied with a grin, though she was still bright red and panting. She hurried to her drawer and pulled sheets of paper out, slipped them neatly into her bag, closed it and wheeled around, charging back out the door. Blake was about to resume reading her book, until a head popped down from above, golden hair letting gravity take its course. Bright purple eyes blinked with interest as Yang began to speak.

"Oh hi Blake, I didn't see you come in! Have you been here a while?" She asked, clinging to the edge of the bed with her arms, a smile and slight head tilt accompanying her question. Blake sighed ever so slightly and took her book back up to her chest. She spoke nonchalantly, acknowledging Yang, but not giving her any attention.

"Yes, when I arrived back you were asleep, Ruby had been and gone, as had Weiss." Her eyes moved rapidly from side to side, turning the pages in second nature. Yang risked dangling one arm off the side of the bed to point at Blakes book.

"What'sat?" She inquired, obviously attempting to make conversation, despite Blakes attempts to rebuff her.

"A book." Blake replied flatly, silently wishing for the blonde to just go back to sleep.

"Well I know that." Yang responded, rolling her eyes. "What's it about?"

Blake sighed far more visibly this time, lowering her book and glancing at the upside down face of her partner. "You know what it's about, I told you the last four times you asked."

Yang swung her head in closer, staring into Blakes yellow eyes. She spoke a little softer now, losing some of her previous enthusiasm, having replaced it with disguised awe. "Well, you read fast. It might be a different book by now. D'you want me to leave you alone?" She asked, blinking slower.

"Yes. I want you to go back to sleep, so I can read my book in peace." Came the very uninterested reply. Blake returned to her literature , casting a sideways glance at Yangs face. She displayed a small amount of frustration as she hung. "Unless of course, you'd like to talk?" Blake continued, giving no hints to her plans. It seemed now would be the perfect time to get some answers.

"Well, okay, sure!" Yang reacted with her characteristic energy, briefly retracting her head and dropping onto the floor, she knelt and rested her elbows on the edge of Blakes bed, holding her chin in her hands. "Whadd'ya wanna talk about?"

Blake smiled internally, now was where things got interesting. "Well." She began, hiding all emotion from her voice. "What did you do today?"

ay?"


	5. Chapter 5

"Alright. So I woke up at something like...Eeh, I don't even know what time it was, and then did my usual morning routine and then I think I had Practical Geography-"

"Oh? What did you do there?" Blake inquired, halting Yang every time she threatened to steamroll through her explanation of her days events.

"Well. We met up I think down the southern-ish end of the forest, and we'd been told that there was a single item that we had to find, depending on the riddle we'd been given it would be somewhere related to that." Yang was about to continue, but Blake interjected with another question. She had placed her book gently to her right, clasped her hands into a ball in her lap and tilted her head to look at her partner as she spoke. Yang too had changed her position, sitting cross-legged at the foot of Blakes bed, just on the edge of falling off. She too had her hands in her lap for the most part, though she gesticulated wildly to accompany her explanations.

"What was your riddle?" Blake asked.

"Uh, I didn't really understand this one at first, but my riddle was something cryptic and confusing. I didn't get it for a long time." Yang replied, giggling awkwardly to herself, mildly embarrassed while she fiddled with a strand of her hair. Blake smirked for a second, amused at the thought. Yang continued with her usual spirit.

"So after a long time I was reminded of something else, a proverb of sorts. To hide a-" She was stopped again by Blake, who focused her gaze beyond Yangs face as she thought.

"To hide a tree, use a forest." Blake finished distantly, something had clearly dragged her attention away in a hurry. She repeated the words in her head. 'To hide a tree, use a forest...where have I seen that before?'

Yang blinked, not quite sure of what to do. She took one hand and waved it in front of Blakes face. "Blake, you okay?" The question yanked Blake back into reality with a jolt. She was startled slightly, though any physical evidence of this was evaporated in an instant as she re-applied her calm demeanour. She spoke with a waver in her voice, but she filtered it out within the first few words.

"I'm fine. Just lost in my thoughts again." Her eyes returned to her partner, who was grinning with happiness.

"It's alright, I've seen you do it multiple times. Whatcha thinkin' about?" She asked, tilting her head yet again.

"It's not important." Blake replied flatly, severing any possible chance to continue that topic. Instead she took control of the situation again, slowly pressuring Yang to continue her retelling of her days events. "So you got your riddle, and then what?"

Yangs grin widened even further. "I went off to search for it!" She replied, leaving the sentence hanging.

"...And that's it?" Blake questioned the validity of this information, but Yang wasn't exactly renowned for her memory.

"Well, I may have got a little sidetracked by the Beowolf that I found..." She said with a slight restlessness.

"Just one?" Blake asked, aware that Yang was either lying on purpose or simply too unfocused to remember correctly.

"Okay, there may have been more than one." She looked left and right, a force of habit when unnerved. Something wasn't entirely true here. "There may have been a pack of them."

"Well, that does sound a lot more likely. I assume you dispatched them with relative ease." She was about to push for the answer she was waiting for, but Yang took the brief stop between sentences to interject with one of her own.

"Not all of them, a few got away, but I killed most of them. Of course, by the time I finished, time was almost up, so I headed back." Her general tone was one of faint sheepishness, almost as though she was ashamed at getting sidetracked. Blake spoke with a little more feeling this time, lining her words with reassurance.

"Just because you prevented things tearing you to pieces doesn't mean you failed at the objective, Yang. Did you get any kind of consequence?" She would've put a hand on Yangs shoulder, had they not been so far apart.

"Not really. They just said I should find it in my own time, so that's what I did. I went back to look for it after I'd finished my lunch." Yang inadvertently covered her own tracks without intending to, as that gave her a rational explanation for her being in the Emerald Forest at the same time as Blake. It wouldn't be too farfetched to assume that she'd come across her teammate on her search and once again got distracted. Blake was considering the very same thing, though she completed her analysis much faster than Yang. It did seem a reasonable thing to happen, but she maintained her suspicions and skepticism.

"Did you find it?" She asked without even the slightest hint of eagerness.

"No, I looked and looked but couldn't find it. And then it started to rain, so I started going back to Beacon anyway." Yang responded, trying to mask her words with a sense of normality. Blake watched as she fidgeted somewhat while she spoke, her hands never quite stayed still. She was lying, and Blake decided to challenge this theory.

"You didn't meet anyone else along the way? Nothing happened?" She kept her posture relaxed and her voice steady, watching for the tiny giveaways that everyone used when they were uncomfortable.

"Nnno, there was just me. I didn't see anyone, but I might have heard them. Could've been anything though, y'know?" Yang scratched the back of her head and closed her eyes, smiling awkwardly. Blake narrowed her eyes slightly, and continued with her interrogation.

"Mhm. Which way did you come back?" Blake inquired, knowing full well that if Yang behaved anything like Blake thought, she'd slip up here.

Sure enough, Yang said the first thing that came to her mind. "I took the cliffside path, since that was the closest!" She was speaking with a cheerful tone, but there was a nervous edge to her voice that wasn't there usually. She did her best to avoid Blakes stare for more than a few seconds at a time.

"Did you make it back before the rain started?" Blake asked, having obtained most of the information she needed. She hadn't moved since they started talking, and kept her collected manner about herself even in a personal space such as this.

"I did! It was very close though, I bet I would've got drenched if I hadn't have left when I did." Yang replied with more energy this time, most likely assuming she'd dodged the bullet. She was visibly relaxing, and her usual self was returning. "Did you?"

"Yes, I was fortunate enough to get inside before the downpour began." As she spoke, her eyes glued to Yangs, though she glanced at the jacket on the hook in her peripheral vision, and remembered the damp clothes strewn across the floor when she arrived. Yang was lying, she had been outside when it started to rain, and she got caught in the worst of it.

It was pretty much settled for Blake, she knew that Yang had followed her, and she didn't want Blake to know about it. The only question that remained now was why. Typically, before she could pursue that line of inquiry, the door opened inwards calmly as Weiss walked in, shutting it gently behind her. She briefly glimpsed both Blake and Yang watching her as she made her way over to her bed, but she didn't care. They could've been confessing love, as long as they left her alone, she was fine with it.

Blake thought it best to leave her final line of questioning for another day, Yang was most likely too aware by now, and would make extracting the necessary information difficult. She altered the subject, briefly noting Weiss searching through one of her many suitcases for something.

"And then what did you do after coming back?" Blake continued, satisfied with the results she had acquired. She let her head tilt back slightly until the tips of her bow brushed against the wood. Yang spoke with a usual cheer, she assumed she'd avoided raising any suspicions of her whereabouts.

"Well, I came back here with Ruby, she'd been caught out in the rain too. She went and changed into a clean uniform in the bathroom while I got into these-" She said, grabbing the bottom of her shirt and lifting it up somewhat, as if Blake couldn't deduce what she meant already. Yang was in a very good shape, Blake had to admit.

Of course, none of them were unfit, but Weiss was very slender and she appeared frail, in stark contrast to Yang. She continued, having no comprehension of Blakes mind working as she spoke. "And then I climbed onto my bed and starting studying for the Grimm Weapon lecture we have tomorrow, and eventually I fell asleep. Oh, then Weiss came in, we exchanged...friendly words." This earned an over the shoulder glare from Weiss, while Yang merely smiled her wolfy grin.

Something had happened between these two, severe enough to mildly anger Weiss. It wouldn't surprise Blake in the slightest if Yang had initiated and continued it. "And then you came in! Well, I guess. I mean, Ruby woke me up as you know, but you were already there, so I assume you'd already came back by that point, and Weiss had left since she just got back now." Yang took a single breath between sentences.

Blake gave her a half smile, her mind now requesting she continue with her book. "I came back and you were asleep, there was no point in waking you so I left you alone." She responded with her usual lack of emotion. She glanced behind her out of the window and noted the sky was darkening. "Either this weather is going to get even worse, or it's starting to get dark. When will Ruby be back?" Even though Blake already knew the answer, it didn't hurt to attempt to converse with her partner.

"Uuh, should be about now I think, this'll be her third and final class for the day. ." Yang shrugged, catching herself mid-yawn and stifling it with a hand. Her tiredness was returning.

'Most likely from tailing me all afternoon...' Blake spoke mentally to herself. Ruby was far too small to force her way through the crowds, she'd most likely just wait as Blake had done. Or attempt to follow the traffic flow towards the dorm. She wouldn't be running now, as she was finished with schoolwork for the day, and so Blake knew that all four would be together in the room very soon. She knew she wouldn't get much reading done while Ruby was fresh from class, as that would no doubt raise a conversation between the sisters. No, reading would be pointless.

Yang remarked with displeasure. "Ugh, when will it stop? I had things to do today." She pointed to the window, and was followed up immediately by Weiss.

"Probably not tonight. Have you seen the colour of those clouds? It may as well be night already, the weather isn't going to change for at least another few hours." She closed her suitcase with another frustrated sigh, and slid it back under her bed. Blake would've asked what Weiss was missing, but it seemed Yang had beaten her to it.

"What'cha lost?" She inquired, tilting her head to the side.

"We've discussed this already, Yang." Came the sharp reply. "It's none of your business." Weiss was clearly irritated. They exchanged words back and forth, Yangs happy, warm reasonings and questions clashing with Weiss's cold counters. It was a textbook case of opposites at work, and it showed no signs of slowing down. Only when Ruby finally returned, some twenty minutes after her class had finished did Yang and Weiss cease arguing.

Ruby emptied a large amount of paper and books onto her bunk above, leaving Yang to close the door behind her. She was very unorganized in comparison to Weiss, Blake, or even her sister. Everyone in the room seemed to stop and wait, they could feel something wasn't quite right.. Nobody opened their mouths to ask, perhaps they didn't need to. Ruby eventually emptied her entire bag onto her bed and plucked a single sheet of paper from the mass of files.

"Okay, I was on my way back from class and Ozpin gave me this." She waved it in the air. Weiss had placed herself at the foot of Blakes bed with her arms folded, awaiting the news.

"What does it say?" Asked Blake, catching Yang opening her mouth and shutting it again, about to ask the same question.

"Well..." Ruby began, reading slowly. "There have been reports, and only reports so far, of something very big and very dangerous in the Emerald Forest that shouldn't be there."

"What do you mean, very big and very dangerous? Isn't everything in there lethal?" Weiss snapped, only to be interrupted by Blakes question.

"Only reports?" She asked simply. Something about the way Ruby spoke unnerved her, this was not a usual request. Ruby continued, half ignoring the questions. Yang waited with held breath.

"Several students say they've seen something 'Unnaturally large and incredibly violent.'" She finished the sentence and looked at her teammates. Weiss maintained her serious manner, though worry was evident across her brow. Blake was deep in thought, and Yang was seemingly stunned. "Ozpin would like us to investigate, since we're the team most suited for the job." Ruby concluded with an explanation of how the exchange went, and waited for her team to respond. Yang was the first to give her opinion, exclaiming with vigor.

"How bad can it be?" She was cut through by Weiss.

"It can always be bad. Stop charging headlong into things and think about this. Ozpin wouldn't have asked if it wasn't serious. He clearly believes that these students are telling the truth. If there are Grimm in there, anything could be living amongst the trees." Weiss was harsh, but her words made a lot of sense. Blake said nothing, still contemplating what Ozpin had said. Ruby followed up with her own opinion.

"I think we should plan ahead, Weiss is right. There's no telling what it could be, and we need to be ready for anything. But, he did tell me that it had only been seen at the very eastern fringes, so the Academy is in no danger. Even though this is important, there's nothing we can do about it now." She may have been young, but she was very mature. Blake respected her for that. Ruby nodded to her left at the rapidly darkening sky, and began cramming everything back into her bag, leaving one sheet on her bed.

Nobody said anything for several minutes, too occupied with their thoughts. Yang broke the silence first, with a suggestion to head to the dining hall and get something to eat. Everybody agreed that this seemed like a good idea. Ruby had ran back and forth a lot today, and she was eager to regain some of the energy she spent. Likewise with Yang, her stomach growled with hunger. Blake and Weiss were far more subtle. It was more of a chance to observe and contemplate rather than eat for Blake, and that was exactly what she would do. After Yang had changed back into her now dry clothes, they left the dorm in single file, with Weiss closing the door behind her.


	6. Chapter 6

The dining hall was filled with hungry students fresh out of their final classes. The entire room was a hive of activity. Blake didn't care much for it. The four sat themselves down on a table in the far corner, as away from people as they could get. They had decided to wait a little before getting their food, to let the line shorten first. Instead, they discussed what was all on their minds.

"Whadd'ya think it is?" Yang asked, eyes ringed with intrigue. Ruby shrugged her shoulders as flatly as she could.

"I don't know, it might even be nothing. Anything can be dangerous when it's big enough, and this is supposed to be very big." She was trying not to let the news weigh her mood down, but Yang could see through her facade.

"Don't worry yourself Ruby, it's like you said. There's nothing we can do about it right now, just enjoy the food." She gave her little sister a cheerful smile, which elicited the same reaction from Ruby. She had both of her hands on the table, looking around at everybody going about their business. Weiss sat opposite Yang, boredom written in her eyes. Blake looked as though she wasn't even there, sitting with her back to the wall. She was still thinking about those few words and what they meant, how there were no sightings or explanations, just speculation. She trusted Professor Ozpins judgement, but she kept the thought close to her attention.

"Oh hey, looks like it's starting to thin out. Do you wanna go start lining up?" Ruby pointed out, looking in the direction of the much smaller queue. Yang gave her a nod and stood up, making her way over. Ruby stopped momentarily and turned slightly to look at her other two teammates. "Are you going to get anything?" She spoke as warmly as she could, but she was never good with people. Weiss said nothing as she rose, walking past Ruby without saying a single word. "Blake?"

"Huh?" She was lost in her mind again. "Oh, of course." Ruby still wondered how she could show so little emotion. As the other girl joined Weiss and Yang, Ruby gave a slight smile to herself and went off after them.

They returned to their table a short while later, with plates of distinctly opposite foodstuffs. Yang of course had plumped straight for the most indulgent thing she could find. She sat staring at the small mountain of ice-cream in front of her, eyes glazed over with awe. "Mmmmm, quadruple chip with sauce. I'm drooling already." Ruby meanwhile had taken a small bowl of vanilla, which she placed next to her plate containing a heap of various biscuits and cookies. By contrast, Weiss had nothing but a glass of water, her appetite nonexistent. Blake simply took an assortment of things and made her own sandwich, though she barely touched it.

As they ate, the two sisters discussed their days through mouthfuls of unhealthy food. How they could understand one another over the racket that echoed in the hall was beyond Weiss, let alone the dismembered words that they managed to form. They may as well have just slammed their faces into their food and ate like pigs.

It didn't take long for them to finish their meals, and coherent speech returned, mostly with Yang complaining about the weather. "How long is it possible for it to rain continuously. d'you reckon?"

"No idea." Came the reply to her right, and then another from her front.

"Around eleven days. There are recorded incidents of up to two weeks of non-stop rain, but they're exceedingly rare." Weiss paused momentarily to look out of the window to the left of their table. It was now a midnight blue, verging on black. The lights of the Academy glowed through the water on the glass, but it had not gotten any easier. If anything, it had worsened since it started earlier that day. Weiss continued. "I'd estimate this one will last around three, maybe four days. The cloud bank we're under came from the north over the sea, through Forever Fall and now it's here. It'll blow itself out before it gets any further inland. Ruby was visibly impressed, her eyes wide with admiration.

"How do you know all that?" She asked, amazement in her voice. Weiss replied with her usual chill.

"I actually studied more than what I was told to. I suppose you wouldn't know anything about that." Yang watched Rubys face for a reaction, just to gauge whether she should step in or not. Rubys expression barely changed, she used to the way Weiss treated everyone by now. She was about to continue bombarding the snow-haired girl with more questions, but a familiar cry of excitement pulled their collective attention back to the line.

There couldn't be any mistaking who it was, beside herself with glee as she waved dramatically at the four. Nora had a huge grin from ear to ear, in stark contrast to her partner. Ren simply gave a small nod and a half-smile, far more understated than the bouncy, hyperactive hammer wielding lunatic that he'd been childhood friends with for years. Pyrrha was standing behind her, and she gave a much smaller, but no less happy wave, which Ruby returned while their leader, Jaune, followed up behind her, at first not noticing what his teammates were actually doing. He did a double take and did his best to wave without knocking anything over.

Blake returned the greeting with a nod and smile of her own, Yang almost hit Ruby on the head with the force of her arm as she flapped around. Weiss turned and smiled too, though mostly at Pyrrha. She respected Nora and Ren in combat, but they left her alone, so she left them alone. Ruby was the most ordinary of the greetings, waving her arm for a few seconds with a grin before turning back to her teammates.

"I didn't actually see them at all today, where were they?" She inquired, a little befuddled. Blake had taken out her book at this point, and answered her leader without breaking her concentration.

"They were at team combat practice this afternoon, and then they joined me in History class." Ruby was once again wide-eyed, even though she was used to Blake being knowledgable. As if Blake could read her mind, the older girl answered Rubys question before she even had a chance to ask it. "I saw them heading over there with weapons out while I was going to the forest. They usually get absorbed in their training, so they made it to the lecture due to Pyrrha pointing out the time." Her tone was completely nonchalant.

"You worked all that out just from watching them?" Ruby asked, her mouth hanging open with astonishment.

"It's not difficult to observe, nor is it difficult to put the pieces together." Blake replied, glancing up from her book. She caught Yang in the corner of her eye, also in wonderment at her perception. In truth there was a much more subtle reason for Blake to say what she did. It would sow the seed of realisation in Yangs mind that she was far more observant than her partner imagined. This in turn would begin to give Yang doubts about how much Blake actually knew. Sooner or later, the fiery haired girl would bring it up in conversation and answer Blakes second question, whether she meant to or not.

They sat for another thirty minutes or so, talking and watching the room gradually empty, until they were all content to head back to their dorm and decide what to do from there. As they rose, Blake noted that team JNPR had also just finished their meal, and so the two teams would most likely make their way back together. She would walk at the back, passively aware of what was going on as she read, mentally noting anything of interest that would be said. Probably about the rain.


	7. Chapter 7

The two teams made their way through the corridors in an unrushed manner, talking amongst themselves. Pyrrha and Yang led the group, discussing topics as varied as fighting tactics, hair-care and even relationship related questions. Yang of course was completely normal about the entire subject, but Pyrrha was a little more reserved. They were followed closely by Weiss and Jaune, though there was no conversation between those two after Jaunes initial attempts were eviscerated with the first icy stare from Weiss. Behind them were Ruby and Nora, neither coming up for breath until they absolutely had to. Much of their conversation was incomprehensible, such was the speed at which they changed subjects, questions and answers. At the back, things were much quieter. Ren and Blake walked side by side in silence, each far more content to listen than speak. It was only when Nora stated something erroneously wrong that Ren corrected her.

They reached their separate dorms after a little while, occasionally moving into single file to allow other students to pass them. Pyrrha and Yang both opened their respective doors at the same time, giving a cheerful wave and a beaming smile before they disappeared out of sight, followed by Nora and Weiss, then Ruby and Jaune, and finally Blake and Ren. They said nothing as they left, each happy with the company they'd taken on the journey.

As Blake shut the door behind her, Yang was already busying herself, rummaging through the untidy mess of papers and belongings she kept. Ruby was preparing to climb to her bunk, and Blake observed Weiss calmly sit on her own and stare. Blake remembered Yangs attempt at socializing with her, and noted the bad reception.

The evening wore on in normality, everyone was quiet for a change. Blake was reading, Yang was studying, Ruby was flipping through a large book and making notes, and Weiss was quietly cleaning Myrtenaster with a white cloth. All four of them had faded the constant backdrop of the rain and wind outside into nonexistence, engrossed in their activities. The only sounds were the page turns of Rubys book, the writings by the sisters and the occasional click as Weiss checked her dust chambers to make sure they were functioning as they should.

None of them noticed a small, neatly folded note slide gently under the door, nor the muffled footsteps leading away. It was only when Yang hopped off her bed, grabbed her pyjamas and started making her way towards the bathroom did she take notice of it. "What's this?" She asked, largely to herself. Her three roommates all looked up from their individual occupations, listening intently as Yang read aloud. "It's from Prof. Ozpin, 'says that if we agree to take the mission, we should meet him outside his office at...five in the morning?! He wants us to be awake and ready that early?" It was though the sheer suggestion of getting up before sunrise horrified her. Blake voiced her reasoning before Weiss could deliver her own opinions.

"Perhaps he'd rather not alert any of the other students to the problem? There's no sense in creating unnecessary unrest. As Ruby said, it could be a false alarm." Yang responded with an uncharacteristically panicked tone.

"But five? Five AM? How am I supposed to be awake, let alone up and ready at that time?!" She was flailing her arms around, still clutching the note and her pyjamas. Ruby sat slightly dumbstruck.

"Sis, aren't you overreacting a little? You've been up at that time before." She gave Yang a smile and scratched the back of her head out of habit, just as Yang had done to Blake earlier that day.

'They may not be related by blood, but there's definitely a bond there.' Mused Blake as she watched the two. Weiss kept calm, restraining herself for the benefit of everybody. Yang spent another three minutes stammering and wailing about her early start to the day before throwing her arms in the air in protest, letting the note fall to the floor and marching into the bathroom. Ruby sighed to herself as Weiss turned back to her maintenance.

Ruby hopped off her bunk, picked up the discarded note and read it herself. She handed it to Blake, and then to Weiss, before re-folding it and putting it underneath her bullet clip, away from prying eyes. She re-assumed her position on her bed, cross legged with an open book and a pad next to it. She was reading about the various types of Grimm, and putting her anatomical studies to good use. She listed all the possible weak points where maximum damage could be dealt, and where to avoid should it prove too dangerous.

She had even took the liberty of categorizing them depending on what weapons or defenses said Grimm possessed, ranging from flight to armour plating. Rough sketches and diagrams accompanied each point, followed by a short description and explanation. She was taking this very seriously, something which didn't escape the attention of neither Blake nor Weiss. They were both used to her studying furiously, but that was usually for a class of lecture of some sort. It seemed she wasn't going to take any chances with this, and that was reassuring.

Yang returned in her night clothes, threw her usual attire onto her pile and returned to her studying, while Weiss finalized her weapon check. Everything seemed normal, but there was a distinct sense of unease. Blake could feel it. She guessed that none of them were going to sleep very much that night. They continued on, Ruby taking more notes and making more sketches, Yang writing page after page, Weiss performing an equipment check on her various dust containers and Blake nearing the midpoint of her book.

Nobody said a word, perhaps too focused on their current duties or considering the task ahead. Regardless, it was some time before Ruby called for everyones attention. She gathered up her sketches and notes, placed them on the large desk to the front of the room and asked for everyone to gather around. She outlined her plans for a smooth takedown, detailed her reasonings and explaining just how they would successfully take down their target, no matter what it was.

"How do we know it won't just kill us?" Asked Weiss cynically, both hands on the table she leant over.

"We don't." Ruby replied simply, still showing different pages of research. The way with which she spoke prevented Weiss from continuing, everybody could tell what her priorities were. 'Team first, enemy second.' Ruby repeated in her head. This was the first truly dangerous encounter they would have since the Nevermore two months ago. The scene was still fresh in her mind, and since then she had applied everything she'd learned about combat and defeating larger enemies into this one night of preparation. She had immense faith in her teammates, but she wasn't about to take any chances.

The rest of the evening went much the same way, with everyone taking in the valuable information Ruby had provided, memorizing precisely what the papers said in a quick, easy to remember fashion. There would be no room for mistakes, they couldn't afford to waste time trying to remember a page of text. Yang asked the majority of the questions, usually relating to the level of risk involved with getting up-close to the various dangerous weapons that Grimm possessed. Weiss questioned the efficiency of dust, while Blake inquired about wounds. The entire team discussed strategies, tactics and battle plans, bouncing ideas off one-another until they reached a conclusion for each major variation of Grimm. One for flight, one for strength, one for armour, and so on.

They each eventually retired to their respective beds, bar Ruby, who had taken her findings to the library and sat on one of the benches near the window by herself, spreading out her research material and books. She had the idea to use some of the books in the library to act as a prop for her scroll, which she used as a makeshift lamp. She didn't think to take one with her when she left the dorm, too preoccupied with the mission ahead. She read page after page on paralyzation, concussion and fatigue, trying to work out a way to implement them into a battle strategy. She reasoned that if the creature, whatever it was, could be rendered vulnerable to attacks by their weapons, it would be far easier to defeat. She gave a large amount of consideration to defensive strategies too, there was no guarantee that they'd even be able to slow it down if it chose to retaliate. It was much more trying than she imagined, but she was determined not to give up.

She yawned, pulling across an ornate styled book across the table to in front of her. The cover was decorated with faded gold inscriptions and emblems. She opened it and flicked through the pages, stopping to read the descriptions and detailed analysis's of each different species. She wrote everything she viewed as valuble down, sketching her own drawings of the multitude of illustrations on each page. She copied limbs, weaponry, anatomy and even internal organs, anything that would give her an advantage. The rain was yet still pounding at the tall windows to her left, but she ignored it. Nothing short of sleep would stop her from studying. And sure enough, that's what did.


	8. Chapter 8

It was still dark when Ruby woke from her impromptu sleep, blinking her eyes wearily and gradually sitting up. She wasn't quite sure what was going on until Blake stood at the opposite end of the table to her and explained the situation. "You fell asleep while studying. I noticed you were absent from your bed, and that the majority of your notes were missing." Blake spoke matter-of-factly, as though she was used to things like this happening. The younger girl was still mostly asleep, tiredness written across her face.

"How did you know I'd be here?" Ruby asked, slowly waking up. She looked over the papers scattered across the table in puzzlement.

"Where else would you go? Nobody would be here at this time, and it gave you ample resources to further your research." Blake gestured with one arm to the huge amount of books lined on shelves all around them. She gave a small smile to her leader. "It's what I would've done."

"Oh...I wanted to give us the best chance we had at-" She was gently stopped by her teammate, reminding her that this wasn't going to be a life changing mission.

"Ruby, we're only going to investigate. There won't be any fighting unless we absolutely have to. Ozpin will give us the details, and we'll plan accordingly." She glanced down at the large book Ruby had in front of her, and continued. "I'd start tidying this up, we've got thirty minutes before we're due to meet Ozpin outside his office." Ruby began to open her mouth to speak, but Blake answered her question before she could ask it. "Yang and Weiss are already getting ready, we're just preparing for the worst."

Ruby gave Blake a determined nod and swept her papers into one pile, placing the books she'd taken back onto the shelves. She carried the largest under her arm, scooped up her scroll and made for the door. It was still dark outside, and the rain was still falling. Blake followed just behind her. "Looks like Weiss was right, this will be a long downpour. Have you considered terrain in your calculations?" She asked with her usual emotionless tone.

"Not as much as I wanted to, but we should be fine. We're all light, so the mud won't be too much of a problem. Yang has her own strength to balance her heavier build, Weiss and I can practically skip over, and you can do much the same." Ruby replied, picking up her pace. Blake was impressed with how many variables her leader had taken into account, even before she had seen what they'd be up against. As predicted, the entire academy was completely empty, and they were careful not to wake any of the sleeping students. Ruby opened the door first, with Blake a second or so behind her.

Yang was shrugging on her jacket and pulling on her fingerless gloves, while Weiss stood on the opposite side of the room, refilling her dust chambers with thorough precision. Blake admired her carefulness, something that her other two teammates were lacking. To iterate this point, Yang loaded her Ember Celica with a laugh under her breath. Blake could almost imagine the grin of anticipation on her face. She sat with her back to the room, skimming the few pages Ruby had left behind in her haste a few hours prior. She familiarized herself with coherent handwriting, sketchy but informative drawings and the various notes that Ruby had added after a moment of inspiration.

They were all ready. Yang took out her scroll, glanced at the time and put it in her back pocket. "Ten minutes to go." Weiss nodded slightly as Ruby opened the door. She glanced over her shoulder at her three teammates lining up behind her and hardened her expression.

"Let's go." She led them back through the maze of walls and corridors, across the amphitheatre and into the right side of the building. Nobody said a word, each of them concentrating on the coming minutes, and more importantly, the coming hours. As the team rounded a ninety-degree right corner, they were greeted by a tall, wizened man standing straight outside a door, a cane in one hand, and a steaming coffee mug in the other. His hair was grey, and he had simple round spectacles halfway down his nose. He wore green, respectable looking clothes with a lighter coloured scarf wrapped around his neck. He watched the four approach with narrow brown eyes, giving them a simple greeting as they stopped in front of him.

"Hello. I'll be brief. You are examining the eastern area of the forest for any signs of unnatural activity. You are not charging in with an intent to kill. Exercise extreme caution, you all know how dangerous Grimm can be. Take note of the weather, and do not hesitate to retreat if you are discovered. I have made arrangements with your professors for the day, you will receive details on your lectures when you return. Report anything you discover to me, and no-one else. Are we clear?" He spoke with immense authority, each word infused with years of experience. Yang nodded once, her expression serious. Weiss too lowered her head, acknowledging the headmasters words. Blake repeated the action, memorizing the objectives and prioritizing them to suit. Ruby gave a simple "Yes sir." and turned, her teammates following her.

They quickly made it out into the early morning, the rain soaking them within minutes. They descended down the cliffside path with cautious haste, taking care not to dislodge any loose rocks that may threaten their balance. The majority of the ground in the clearing was flooded, the entire area one large body of water. They moved through it without difficulty, each step sending droplets flying in every direction. Yang already had her gauntlets extended, Weiss held her rapier with an iron grip as Blake grasped Gambol Shroud in one hand, still in its sheath. Ruby had her scythe folded across her back, the wind sending her cape in every direction. They walked in a methodical fashion, with Ruby and Weiss at the front, Blake slightly behind and Yang bringing up the rear.

Something else rose above the constant ambiance of the rain hitting leaves and stone. It boomed overhead, reverberating across the treetops. This was a storm. The cacophony of sound added a thick sense of foreboding to the already uneasy air that carpeted the forest floor like fog. As they made their way East, they encountered nothing at all. Blake would've suspected the Beowolves to be out hunting, this was the perfect weather for them to ambush their prey, and yet. It was strange, and it gave her a feeling of misplacement that she couldn't quite shift.

The only difference in terrain was the density of the undergrowth increasing as they pressed on, with ferns replacing grass more and more. The trees were taller and thicker with more vegetation. There was a visible mist in the air, tinting the ground with a white haze. They had a long way to go before they entered the far Eastern side of the forest. They all knew something wasn't natural about this.

Not anymore.


	9. Chapter 9

_**Authors Note: This is the revised chapter, and as such has been re-uploaded as a different file. The entire wording has been changed, therefore any reviews made to the old Chapter 9 may not be relevant to this updated version. Sorry for the inconvenience!**_

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It was pitch-black. The wind howled with a supernatural fury, tearing branches from the trees and casting a torrential downpour, flooding everything beneath the canopy. Thunder exploded overhead in a barrage of deafening noise, drowning everything else out beneath its roar. Nature itself was alive, directing its wrath upon the forest in a hateful rage fueled by the earth.

It lashed at their eyes, stinging them with barbs of ice. It chilled them to the bone, each step more exhausting, every movement harder than the last. The cold sapped their energy, freezing to the bone, limbs numb beyond feeling. The journey tortured them without end, withering away at their resolve with every passing minute. Only their combined willpower prevented them from turning back. This was something they had to do, no matter what.

Fear stalked them as they moved, dread seeping through the cracks in their minds. Doubt seeded itself into their hearts, challenging their resolution to falter. They wore brave faces, but they felt the apprehension grow inside them. The trees hindered them at every turn, forcing them to a crawl. A small team of four were alone on this unnaturally stormy night, in the depths of a jungle filled with murderous creatures. And they were moving further into the darkness.

A frail girl paused in the gloom, unsure of herself. Three others stopped behind her, too unnerved to speak. They watched the area around them, squinting through the blackness for any signs of danger. Everyone was on edge. She glanced over her shoulder at her teammate, silver eyes locking into blue. Neither of them spoke, but each could see the fear inside. Ruby gave a grim nod and continued, feeling a hand on her shoulder. Her partner held her rapier in the other, holding the weapon close to her side. She was nervous, everything about this felt wrong. Doubts and despair worked their way through her veins, shrouding her heart with dismay.

Another hand was firmly grasping her own shoulder, gripping tightly. Blake could feel the anxiety lingering above them. It blanketed them like a cloud, sapping at their spirit like a parasite. She knew they were all unnerved, but this was something else. Something more. She tried to apply rationality and logic, reasoning that they were overreacting. The storm that raged above would surely impact their perception, wouldn't it?

Yang was holding onto her teammate with a protective grasp, trying to keep her spirits high. She was uneasy at best, frequently trying to see into the darkness that surrounded them every step of the way. Nothing could shake the sense of dread that was spreading inside her, slowly replacing all of her usual positivity with dismay. It felt more and more like they were approaching death.

She halted along with the rest of her team at Rubys order. She didn't say anything above the deafening shriek of the wind, it would only be lost. Instead, she passed her request back to Blake through a single gesture, raising her hand to her ear and tilting it towards the sky. They all strained to listen, trying to filter out the fury of the weather. Amongst the crashing thunder and unbroken torrent of rain there was something else, slicing through the wind. A shrill cry that pierced their ears. They all knew that sound far too well, very aware of what it meant. It continued as they pressed forwards, growing in intensity and pitch. It was filled with malice, stabbing at their ears with a razor sharp beak. It was a Nevermore.

Ruby brought her team to a halt, crouching low into the cover of a large rocky outcrop. Weiss, Blake and Yang all followed, bending low to scrape what shelter they could from the harsh gale. They gestured to eachother with hand signals, something they had rehearsed in preparation for situations such as this. Blake watched her leader describe a cliff-face, a large clearing ringed by trees, and the Grimm circling in the sky above them. She tensed instinctively to the crack of lightning that scratched the sky, and positioned herself to watch the area without being discovered. The light gleamed against feathers, sheening them in white for a second, and then the dark returned.

Something was amiss. The Nevermore swooped in arcs, each beat of its wings sent the trees below bending beneath the force, before being tossed around by the wind once more. It gave off a restless air that Blake felt through the bitter cold. She watched the blackness intently, waiting for the lightning to illuminate everything once more. She caught a glimpse of something to the left of the clearing, rising above the canopy. It appeared to be linked to the cliff, but before she could be sure, it faded from view. The wind threw lashing drops of rain directly into her eyes, but she couldn't blink them away when her team was depending on her. She felt the passing of the Nevermore above her again, throwing the trees apart.

She observed the next few minutes in a sense of twisted tranquility. The thunder which barraged her ears previously had faded away, taking the ceaseless howl of the wind and the unending rain with it. All was silent as she watched with baited breath between flashes of lightning. She observed the Nevermore descend slowly onto the edge of the cliff, spreading its wings in an intimidating display that filled her with despair. It reminded Blake of her past. A bad omen, foreshadowing death. Shivers of fright riddled her body continuously, yet she could not avert her eyes. It cast a penetrating screech into the air, scything through the silence which had settled.

It was no more than a few seconds after the Grimm began to shriek that Blake noticed a movement to the left. She watched through seemingly slowed time, and did her best to follow what was happening in the blackness. Something very large, easily taller than the trees around them erupted from its cover, launching itself at the perching Nevermore with startling speed. It closed the gap within three strides, each one shaking the ground. Lightning struck once more, illuminating the rain sliding down jet black scales. A guttural growl echoed around the clearing as the Nevermores cry was sliced in half.

Jaws locked around its torso and pulled, slamming the giant bird into the ground with a large thud. The impact kicked up water and mud from the ground, throwing Blakes view of events into distortion. Before the Nevermore had even recoiled from the collision did the same pair of jaws clamp around the Grimm's neck, a clawed foot pinning it in place. The head yanked back, snapping the spine of the avian in a single motion. A violent flash of lightning struck at the same time, highlighting the soulless red eyes burning internally. They seemed to stare into Blakes own, despite her knowing it was unaware of their presence.

The sickening sound jolted her back into reality with a start. She fell back in surprise, overwhelmed by the assault on her senses. Her eyes stung, ears rang with the claps of thunder, and she became immediately aware of the lack of feeling in her limbs. Ruby offered Blake her hand, pulling her teammate back to the cover of the rocks. She turned to ask her teammate what she had saw, but stopped in her tracks. She didn't need to ask, Blakes eyes told everything. This was the only cue Ruby needed. She pushed the dread inside of her down and rose slowly, being mindful not to move too suddenly.

They could all hear the repulsive sounds of a corpse being shredded to pieces, and they could all smell the scent of blood carrying on the wind. Despair had begun to rise in their hearts, blanketing them with a sense of foreboding. Yang signaled first, suggesting they move while it was distracted. They stepped backwards in unison, keeping their eyes focused directly on the clearing in front of them. Somewhere in the darkness was a predator, and it was only a matter of time before it would be finished eating, Blake knew that. She guessed they would have a few minutes to escape, but the changing wind carried the risk of blowing their scents towards it. It was a chance they had to take.

The rain smashed into them, freezing their veins even further than before. Their muscles were stiff with fatigue, and they stumbled backwards, not daring to run. Blake gave a horrified gasp that died in the back of her throat as she kicked against a rock. The creature had stopped eating. She couldn't see it, but her imagination was working overtime, casting horrifying images of being torn to pieces into her mind. She tried to block them out, but they taunted her with memories that she'd rather not remember. Another flash confirmed her fears as she watched two puffs of steam escape from its snout. It was staring directly at her with a terrifying calm.

Time slowed to a halt as they exchanged gazes. Blake wanted to move, to run. But her legs were rooted to the spot, refusing to listen to her pleas. She could feel tears welling at the corner of her eyes, being stolen from her the moment they escaped. She begged her body to respond, but it didn't. Burning red eyes seemed to reach into her very soul as she stared at them, too frightened to move. She held her weapon protectively in front of her, a rising panic taking over her senses.

She knew where it was even though she couldn't see it. Her eyes were fixated on that spot in the darkness. She willed herself to act, hoping with every fiber of her being that she could break from this frozen state she was in. Lightning struck with a crack, triggering the attack. Clearing the corpse of the Nevermore in one stride, it opened its jaws to loose a thunderous roar that ripped through the wind. Blake let the tears flow, watching the black beast bear down on her with a frenzy. She resigned herself to her fate. She had tried to run, but she couldn't. She wasn't strong enough. She watched as it charged towards her, claws extended in a furious attack. She saw the mouth lined with razor sharp teeth and closed her eyes.

This was the end.


	10. Chapter 10

Weiss watched in horror as the monstrous form smashed trees aside in its frenzy, shredding her nerves with a rasping roar. It was huge, dwarfing everything around them. Blake was directly in its path, too terrified to move. Weiss tried to call out for her friend, but her words were drowned out before they left her mouth. There was no way she could get there in time, it was moving too fast. She was powerless to help.

Rubys instincts took over her senses as she vaulted over one of the fallen trees, extending her scythe and powering herself towards the creatures head with a gunshot, the blade extended. Her timing was perfect, swinging over her head and shooting, slicing into the black flesh and drawing deep crimson blood. It stumbled slightly, swinging its head in a wide arc; rage burning in its eyes.

Blake felt a large impact slam her off her feet, winding her and forcing her eyes open. Her vision was a blur, phasing between black, green and brown. She could sense something holding her tightly around her waist, but there was no pain. She briefly noticed something distracting the shadowed creature and tried to reach out, but she had no energy left. She tried to speak, but nothing happened. Everything was unfamiliar to her.

Ruby landed heavily on the forest floor, jumping backwards to avoid a swipe of the deadly claws. They sliced through the air seconds after she moved, adrenalin coursing through her veins. She leapt upwards, using her rifle to give her extra height. She raised the blade over her head, aiming to pierce the area directly between its eyes. She underestimated its speed, as no sooner had she avoided one attack was she in the path of another. A gaping maw was heading directly for her, lined with teeth as long as her forearm. Blood stained its tongue, a grim reminder of the sheer strength it possessed.

It lunged at her with a speed that belied its size, aiming to tear her in half. She held her weapon above her head, rapidly trying to remember her own notes. Tongues were sensitive, but it was a very risky place to attack. She positioned her scythe above her, ready to launch herself forward. The area lit up, but there was no lightning. A series of blue explosions slammed into the beasts flank, illuminating its bony sail and runed mask. It staggered sideways, caught off guard by the attack. Ruby glanced to her left, watching a brilliant circle of blue stars fade from her partner.

Weiss turned her hilt to red and sliced it downwards, launching herself towards the battle from a brilliant white platform. She watched as it let out another terrifyingly guttural roar and lunged at Ruby again, thrusting its head towards her with alarming speed. Ruby fired downwards, throwing herself even higher into the air with her cape blowing in the wind. She rotated her scythe around and fired again, hurling herself towards its head with a target in her sights.

Blake felt someone propping her between tree roots, using haste and care, minding her injuries. She barely registered the lack of feeling in her body or the frenzied bellows behind her. She could somewhat hear gunshots, but her mind was scattered. She watched helplessly as someone dressed in brown placed their jacket over her chest, revealing a yellow shirt that matched their hair. She smiled faintly, fighting to stay conscious as the rain hammered her ears.

Yang regretted having to leave Blake in this state, but her teammates needed help. She scowled to herself, took one last look at her partner and ran towards the fight. She could see the muzzle flares of gunshots and blue explosions dancing around an enormous shadowed beast, which narrowly missed swatting Ruby out of the sky with a clawed hand. She didn't hesitate to loose several rounds from her gauntlets at the legs of the creature, closing the gap as she fired. The explosions blocked her view of its feet, sending it stumbling sideways off balance. It smashed into the trees but didn't fall, breaking through the wood with a swipe of its tail as it caught itself and turned to face the three.

Weiss and Ruby stood either side of Yang, weapons at the ready. Thunder continued to boom above them, competing with the deep growls that echoed around the clearing. Ruby motioned to attack the head, aiming to disorient it. If they could stun it long enough to escape, they wouldn't need to fight. Yang charged forwards, shooting at the ground to send herself directly towards the creatures head. Weiss darted to the side, aiming to throw it off balance so Ruby could disable it. They all saw the maw open wide once more, and they all felt the shivers as it tore through the wind.

Yang raised her fist behind her head as she watched the beasts head close on her, throwing a punch onto the tip of its snout, firing as she did so. The impact forced a pained snarl into the air as it recoiled in shock. Weiss immediately took advantage and sent brilliant red orbs smashing into the left flank, leaving trails of energy in the air. It staggered backwards, lashing out with its jaws in a blind attack.

Yang landed precariously on the bridge of its upper jaw, striking the scales with anger. She held on with one hand as it lowered its head under the force of the attack, holding still just long enough for Ruby to place her scythe directly between its eyes. The blade embedded itself a few centimeters under the skin, eliciting a dangerously unpredicted reaction from the creature. It swung its head in a wide arc, shaking repeatedly. Yang could feel her grip loosening, watching her sister trying to steady herself.

Weiss watched with held breath as it flailed its head around in a wild rage. Her eyes widened with alarm upon seeing Yang desperately holding on with one hand. She flung herself forwards with haste, leaving a brilliant white rune behind her. She ran as fast as she could, keeping a terrified eye on her teammate. This entire encounter was not going to plan. Lightning struck again, just as Yangs grip finally faltered. Ruby cried out for her sister, barely audible over the storm. Yang loosed another round at the beast as she fell, hitting it square on the shoulder. She was too concentrated on attacking to notice her imminent collision course with the stone cliffs.

Ruby yanked her scythe from its head with force, leaping off seconds before it whirled around to face her again. She heard the footfalls coming closer before she had even landed, panic threatening to overrun her senses. She rolled with the impact and ran, not daring to turn around. Another roar bellowed behind her, she could hear the rage within it. Her plan was simple, but she had no idea how effective it would be. She jumped, hooking onto an outstretched branch with her scythe and swung, hoping to throw herself clear before it could reach her. She caught a glimpse of a hulking black form in her vision, just before a blow smashed her to the ground.

Yang watched helplessly as her sister was attacked, the scene playing out through flashes of lightning and what she could hear above the wind. She hit something behind her forcefully, feeling the breath being expelled from her lungs. Almost immediately, she begin to fall, too dazed to slow her descent. She watched as the floor grew bigger, tensing herself for the hit. A floating circle in the shape of a snowflake formed directly in her path, and she felt her momentum halt. Another one appeared below that, breaking her fall and allowing her to land without any pain. Weiss landed beside her in a crouch. The two exchanged brief glances, nodded to one-another and rushed to help their leader.

Ruby bounced off the ground, rolling to a halt beside a small ditch. She stood up, slightly disoriented. Determination set in instantly upon hearing wood splintering behind her. She wheeled around, watching the mammoth beast smash its way towards her, pushing its way through using sheer strength. She formed another idea in her head and acted on it, running towards the oncoming creature at full speed. She held her scythe behind her, poised to press the trigger as late as she dared. The head lowered again, opening its jaws in an attempt to bite through her body. She crouched and fired, sliding across the sodden earth underneath the attack and stopping herself once she had cleared its tail.

It spun around, cracking and destroying the trees that were in its way. There was no hesitation as it charged again, shaking the ground with every step. Ruby broke the cover of the trees in a rush, panting for breath. Another blue orb sailed through the air above her, weaving its way between the trunks to reach its target. She turned and darted towards Weiss, motioning to find Yang, rescue Blake and run. Weiss nodded, sending another barrage into the trees. They could see the explosions engulfing the plants that scattered the ground, being trampled into the earth by an enraged monster.

Weiss grabbed Ruby by the arm and ran from the cliff, heading towards the sheltered area they had emerged from. They heard another crash behind them, followed by a terror-inducing roar that pulsed with primeval fury. They cleared the debris and ducked behind the very same rocky outcrop that they had used previously. Ruby glanced to her right, catching Blake propped against the bark with Yangs jacket draped across her front. She was about to move to help her teammate, but her sister rounded the edge of the forest and motioned for them to move, courage evident on her face. Yang scooped Blake up in her arms without a moments hesitation and held her close, running as fast as she could through the trees.

Ruby ran side-by-side with Weiss, weaving between boulders and trees, vaulting over the fallen trunks that blocked their path. All the while they could hear a constant thudding behind them, accompanied by the violent crashing of the thunder overhead and hateful bellows that came from the beast as it tore its own path towards them. It crushed logs underfoot, using its head as a battering ram. They all felt a rising terror in their hearts, they couldn't afford to make a single mistake. A grim realisation dawned on Ruby as they fled.

They were being hunted.


	11. Chapter 11

Yang carried Blake tightly to her chest, securing her in a vice-like grip, hooking one arm under Blakes legs and the other holding her head in place. She would have been terrified, but her determination was keeping the panic and fear at bay. There was no way she was giving up now, she'd die before she abandoned her partner. She ran as fast as her legs could carry her, traversing the uneven terrain with supreme skill. She kicked off boulders to clear fallen trees in single leaps, adrenalin spurring her onwards.

Ruby sliced through obstacles in her path without a second thought, not even breaking her pace as she bolted through the undergrowth. She dodged incoming trunks with millimeters to spare, urging herself on. The thunderous roars that echoed behind her served as a desperate reminder of the danger they were in. She could feel the earth shake with every step even as she ran. She could hear the trees shatter and fall even above the wailing wind. She knew that there was no room for errors.

Weiss propelled herself through the forest with speed, her heart hammered against her chest like a hammer. She was frightened, but the sight of her teammates sprinting across this difficult ground eased her nerves. She trusted them. She could see between the flashes of lightning and the debris passing by; the sheer courage fortifying their resolve. She felt her own will boosted by their bravery and steeled herself. Another sky-splitting roar tore ahead of them, they were far from safe.

They had been fleeing for minutes, but it felt like hours. They all ached from exhaustion, their wounds making themselves known. The freezing rain pelted them continuously, it was only by a stubborn refusal to let go did they press onwards. Despite this, Ruby knew the predator hunting them was catching up. She could feel the anticipation in the air. She could hear the footfalls pound behind her, growing louder every minute. Despair was seeping through the cracks once more, pushing doubts through her head. She would not let her team down. Not now, not ever.

Her reflexes caught a tiny movement to her left, moving against the blur of trees that sped across her vision. She launched herself sideways, milliseconds before a pair of monstrous black jaws slammed shut beside her, almost grazing her leg. She ran across the trees, kicking off the trunks and using her rifle to keep herself airborne, narrowly avoiding the behemoth that was smashing its way in pursuit. She caught a glimpse of its eye as they ran side by side, burning with rage and hatred. It was not an ordinary Grimm defending its territory. This was something far more lethal.

She hacked a branch in half with one clean sweep of her scythe, barely noting the stinging pain as the wood sliced across her limbs. She was focused solely on keeping her momentum up, passively evading the frenzied strikes that threatened to tear through her body with ease. Every hate-filled bellow boomed across the thunder, deafening her as she missed the razor edged teeth by inches. She could read the forest ahead, it was gradually thinning out. There would be less opportunities for her to avoid the beasts attacks, she had to return to the ground. An enormous head obliterated a trunk to her right, sending splinters of wood hurtling into her face. She drew level with its head once more, unnerved at the fury in its eyes.

Ruby descended to the ground in one swift movement, powering herself into a roll and firing behind her, keeping pace with her teammates through the diminishing forest. There were less obstacles in her path, and Weiss could shift her attention to the gargantuan creature that hounded her partner. She took a second to scan the path ahead and flung Myrtenaster upwards, loosing a crimson ball of energy slamming into the creatures side. It lurched unsteadily, careening into a jutting spire of rock at full speed. It smashed through the stone uncontrollably, sending debris flying everywhere. She let out a small sigh of relief under her breath as she watched it fall back in shock.

Yang overheard the collision as she ran, relief washing over her in waves. Her pace did not break, she knew better than to let her guard down. The rain stung her eyes endlessly, swiping her tears away with the wind. Her legs throbbed with immense pain every step, but she daren't slow down. There was still a long way to go with no guarantee they were safe. Her fear was confirmed a few seconds later as a distant but enraged cry split the raging storm above. She tightened her grip on Blake even further, protectively guarding the unconscious body in her arms.

The terrain was evening out, giving her a tiny window to watch Weiss and Ruby power their way towards the cliffs. They moved with an immense sense of purpose, zigzagging between obstructions with incredible skill. They were both concentrating hard, watching the incoming trees and avoiding them with an almost effortless level of awareness. Yang was incredibly fortunate to have them as her teammates. She was reminded of this as she moved, her strides becoming longer to cover the evening ground. She was carrying one of the most precious things in her life in her arms, with only her strength and dedication between life or death. Blake was her driving force, pushing her to keep going.

A sudden explosion of noise rolled across the canopy in a wave, the fearsome roar tore into their ears like claws. The beast was driven by a frenzy, crushing the trees underneath its immense power. It left a trail of violent destruction in its wake, blind fury clouding its vivid flaming eyes. It showed no regard for anything, battering down everything in its path. Weiss heard the powerful thuds as it thundered after them, timing her breaths to match. She did not dare break her focus, but she regulated her breathing as much as she could to pinpoint its location behind them. It was getting louder every step, a guttural growl scything across her left. She propelled herself forwards on a white platform, in time to see the creatures head smash through a tree in her peripheral vision. Its scales were obsidian, reflecting only the rain as lightning illuminated the sky.

She powered through the air, sending another bright red orb colliding into its head. She saw it visibly flinch, tilting downwards to break through a cluster of trees, momentarily breaking its stride. By this point the forest was somewhat sparse, an indication they were nearing the cliffs that held the Academy. They had ran miles, too determined to give in to their injuries. Every muscle in their bodies willed them to stop, aching with an intense pain, but they persevered. The beasts endurance was incredible, they would have respected it were they not running for their lives.

The unmistakable shape of a huge stone wall rose above the treetops in front of them, the spires of Beacon reaching towards the sky. A sense of exhilaration pulsed through their exhausted veins, restoring their energy in a pulse of adrenalin. They were nearly home. Another terror-inducing sound rung in their ears, bringing their joy to a halt. It was right behind them as they sprinted across a clearing, kicking up water and mud as they fled. Ruby was slightly ahead of her team, holding Crescent Rose in a poised position. She was so intent on making it back alive, she didn't notice a faint yellow glow emanating from the clusters of trees hugging the cliff-face.

She was within sight of the path, bolting across the final opening before the ascent. She was completely unprepared for the assault that slammed her across the air into the bushes at the far left of the clearing. Weiss broke her pace with alarm, skidding to a halt directly between the predator behind her and the safe route in front of her. She rolled instinctively to the side, feeling a rush of air sweep past her face as a lower jaw bit through the wind inches from her body. It spun around at the foot of the path, blocking their only way out. Dismay struck at her heart once more, this was a bad situation.

She caught Yang darting into the cover of the vegetation with Blake securely in her arms. She barely had time to gasp in surprise when something large burst from the cover with a shrill screech. It smashed into the creature with brute force, sending it stumbling sideways. Weiss watched with held breath as the mammoth beast turned to face its attacker. She heard bone clacking together, and saw the arched tail with a deadly sting tipping the armoured body. It raised two large pincers defensively, shifting its weight around on eight legs.

A Deathstalker had arrived, challenging the larger creature to a battle. It was intruding on the scorpions territory, and they viewed eachother as dangerous threats. Weiss stared in awe, sensing the tension in the air. Neither combatant moved, they were sizing eachother up. Her thoughts jarred her back into reality with the realisation that Ruby was still somewhere between the trees. She rushed over to where she had seen her leader land, searching through the low light for any sign of her whereabouts.

Something rustled faintly, prompting Weiss to slowly crouch towards it. Pushing a cluster of branches forwards, she took in the sight before her. Ruby was lying on her back amongst the leaf litter, her scythe several feet away. She was breathing, albeit slowly. Weiss knelt next to her, sheathing her rapier as she gently pulled Ruby up. The younger girl was dazed, but there didn't seem to be any fresh wounds. She slowly helped her leader to her feet and walked her over to the scythe lying on the ground. Weiss bent down to pick it up, slinging Rubys arm around her shoulder.

Yang had shifted her position, emerging from the darkness to the left of Weiss and Ruby. She looked the heiress directly in the eyes and nodded once. Weiss returned the gesture and began easing Ruby towards the clearing, too exhausted to say anything. Yang followed close behind, her body racked with pain. As they emerged from cover, they gazed anxiously at the two creatures, circling one-another in the center of the area. They could hear a deep growl coming from one, and a bony crack from the other. Weiss wasted no time, lightly guiding Ruby up the dirt path. She knew Yang was right behind her, and that they did not want to be around when the two titans clashed.

The terrifying shrieks and roars rose above the endless thunder in a violent crash. Weiss kept her eyes firmly on the path below them, taking immense care not to misplace a step. She did her best to filter out the sounds of earth-shaking battle. She knew one of them would kill the other, but there was no telling how long the battle would last. She didn't want to find out. Ruby moaned slightly in pain, she was limping up the side of the cliff. Worry was evident in Weiss's eyes. All that mattered to her now was ensuring they all survived. Lightning struck again, crackling through the hateful rumbles that echoed from below. Weiss and Yang held their resolve all the way to the entrance of the Academy, refusing to let go of their partners.

Professor Ozpin stood at the doorway, his face stone. He was accompanied by several medical staff, who rushed to the girls aid. They gently tried to pry the team apart, but Weiss and Yang refused to let go. Ozpin stopped their attempts with a single gaze. The group made their way to the infirmary, with Ozpin in tow.

They had survived.


	12. Chapter 12

There was a thick air of anxiety in the infirmary, empty apart from four people in one corner. Two of them were lying on beds adjacent to eachother, each accompanied by their partners. Yang rested her bloodied arms on the edge, watching Blakes motionless body with intense worry. She didn't care about the fresh bruises that riddled her skin, or the immense throbbing pain that pulsed through her body. She couldn't feel her arms, her clothes were glued to her with rain. She could see her sister on the opposite side of the cubicle, Weiss holding her hand in both of her own. Yang could see the concern in her eyes, for once she wasn't trying to hide her emotions under a icy facade.

Ruby was propped against the wall with several pillows, patches of deep crimson blood seeping through her black clothing. She held her knee with one hand, trying her best to ignore the twinging pain in her leg. It didn't feel right. She was fighting back tears, Weiss could see that even through the damp hair that clung to the smaller girls face. She was too exhausted to say anything, both physically and mentally. She knew her partner felt the same way, they had been through a lot together. She glanced up at Blake, lying still with Yang sitting next to her. There were so many feelings circulating around each of them, they all sensed each-others regrets, their worries, their anger.

She heard a gentle tapping behind her, the sound of footsteps approaching. She turned her head, keeping her hands clasped firmly around Rubys own. Yang looked up from her unconscious partner, watching as Professor Ozpin stood at the foot of Rubys bed. His voice was calm as he spoke, casting his eyes over the four of them.

"First and foremost, are you severely injured?" He asked with an unwavering tone, holding his cup in one hand and his cane in the other. Weiss spoke for Yang, she knew that the fiery girl wouldn't control herself if she became even slightly aggravated.

"Blake has been unconscious for a while, Ruby is disoriented and battered, she may have fractured her leg. My wounds are unimportant compared to Yangs." She replied, doing her best to speak clearly. Her words lead Ozpins eyes on a survey of their states. She was right, for the most part she was fine. Ruby clutched her knee protectively, her whole aura exuded of agony, both physical and emotional. Blake was seemingly untouched, with only minor scrapes on her back. Her eyes were closed, in stark contrast to Yang. The bold girls arms were red raw with both blood and sliced flesh, she was injured in many ways on every single body-part.

He gave a nod of respect, before continuing. "I'll be expecting a full report on the events that transpired in the last several hours." Yangs head shot up from beside Blake, her eyes flaring in anger. Ozpin silenced the fire in her heart, locking his own eyes with hers.

"When you feel you are ready. I understand you've been through an incredible ordeal. Take all the time you need, reports can wait." He turned on his heel and left, well aware that the information he'd receive would be vital. He had too much experience to rush them through it.

Yang watched the headmaster leave, feeling a sea of emotions beating at her mind. She was weary, the chase had drained all of her energy. She felt sick, lightheaded, the rush of adrenalin long dissolved. It hurt her to move, but she resisted her fatigue. Fear still lingered, shaking her body with the cold. Most of all, she was distraught. She couldn't stop remembering her partner, standing alone as death came for her. She was frozen to the spot, not of cold but of terror. What could've broken Blakes will like that? She was usually so collected and quiet, but something happened that Yang couldn't see.

It pained her, trying to understand what her partner was going through. She looked so peaceful, almost as though she was asleep. She'd lost the battle for consciousness at some point during the pursuit, but Yang didn't know when. She was already close to passing out when Yang had propped her against the tree, though she wasn't sure why. She had wanted nothing more than to reassure Blake that everything would be fine, but she had a faint feeling that she would've been lying.

* * *

The four remained this way for much of the day, oblivious to the world around them. Weiss had pulled the screen across, giving them much needed privacy from the rest of the school. She was used to herself being hurt, but never someone else like this. Ruby gradually came around, slowly returning some of her usual cheer.

"I guess that could've gone better, huh?" She asked jokingly, wincing at the jolt that ran up her leg.

Weiss gave her the warmest smile her tired body could muster, rolling up her partners sleeve to check the bandages she'd applied herself. They seemed to be holding, but she could see the various bruises and cuts that decorated her skin. The ordeal had been painful for them all, and Weiss almost felt guilty that she was comparatively uninjured. Sure, she had been bleeding on one or two places, her dress stained beyond recognition by the soil and blood, mixed together with the rain. She was tired, but she wasn't in immense pain as her teammates were. She did her best to comfort Ruby, gently adjusting her posture against the pillows when she began to slouch.

Weiss didn't even need to ask about Blakes condition, Yangs body language told everything. She was incredibly anxious, constantly shifting her position. She had lacerations all across her forearms and down her legs, no doubt by the lashing branches as she forced her way through them. She had selflessly thrown herself in the path of that monster, and ran across the majority of the forest while carrying her partner. Weiss admired her strength, noting the energy glowing beneath her exhausted body. She would fight right here and now if she had to, that very willingness to protect her friends was incredible.

All of their attention turned to the resting girl on the bed, murmuring something too quiet to hear. Yang stood up in an instant, leaning over Blake with her hand on top of her partners.

"Blake? Are you alright? Are you hurt?" She asked breathlessly, relief replacing her previous concerns. Ruby began to climb off her bed, but Weiss stopped her in her tracks.

"You're injured, Ruby. Here, let me help." She hooked Rubys arm over her shoulder and began easing her towards Blake, giving her leader no chances to protest. Ruby walked with a visible limp, barely putting any weight on her left leg at all. Yang took the chair she was sitting on and slotted it underneath her sister, who practically fell onto it. She was grateful for the reprieve it gave her, the few steps she had taken between beds had already re-ignited the searing pain in her knee. She ignored it for now, instead leaning forwards as Weiss and Yang helped Blake into a sitting position.

Her brilliant amber eyes were narrow as she came to, her raven hair still stuck to her shoulders. She looked around slowly, her observational skills working even now. Yang stood on her left, looking as though she'd been through hell. Her clothes were torn, her skin ripped. Weiss and Ruby were on the right, the former standing with a reassuring hand on the latters shoulder. They were both worse for wear, with Ruby bearing the brunt of her wounds. Dried blood caked her injuries, but she still managed to give an encouraging smile despite her obvious pain. Weiss too was smiling weakly, but her eyes betrayed the reassurance she was trying to give. She was worried.

Blake spoke slowly and quietly, still coming to terms with her slowly warming limbs and the mess of emotions inside her head.

"I'm fine Yang. Really, it's nothing." She was taken by surprise at the ferocity of the response.

"No you're not. I watched. I know for a fact you are not fine. Don't even try to tell me otherwise." Yangs voice was infused with emotion, her concern evident in her words. She was barely controlling herself, battling her feelings to prevent an outburst. Her eyes were bright even now, burning with a spirit to match her heart. Blake took a few attempts to form a coherent sentence, taken aback by her partners response.

"I...I don't know. I'm not hurt. You shouldn't worr-" Her sentence was cut short. Yang responded with even more feeling, her voice shaking.

"No. I won't let you say that. You're my partner, I will worry about you..." She stopped briefly, hanging her head and heaving her body, fighting back tears.

"You mean so much to me, I'm not going to stop worrying." Cracks in her voice appeared mid sentence, breaking through the brave face she wore at all times.

"I want you to be okay, and you're not." Tears streamed down her face, passing over her bloodied wounds. She spoke between fits of crying, racking her shoulders with every breath.

"I want you to be safe."

Blake took a moment to understand her friends words, stunned by her heartfelt reaction. She leaned forwards slowly, placing one arm around Yangs back and pulling gently, too overwhelmed to speak. Yang buckled her arms and flung them around her partner, burying her head into Blakes shoulder. Her entire body shuddered with feeling, muffled cries touching Blakes heart in a way she'd never felt before. She could sense the anxiety in Yang fading away as they held one-another. All the feelings that she had built up were being released, filling Blake with an immense happiness.

Yang clung to her partner in zeal, refusing to let go. She felt the warmth radiating from Blake, chasing away the cold from inside her. She didn't want to let go, all she cared about was this moment. She was immersed in the embrace, feeling how gently yet firmly Blake held her. It was incredible, pushing all the worry and fear away in a single movement. They remained locked around eachother for minutes, too absorbed in one another to break apart. Yang slowly lessened her tears, still shaking uncontrollably.

Ruby silently stood, exchanged brief glances with Weiss and began to leave, still supported by her partner. Weiss insisted that she rested, but Ruby was adamant that her sister and Blake deserved time alone. Weiss reluctantly guided her out of the infirmary, leaving the two together, still holding eachother.


	13. Chapter 13

Ruby let out a whimper as she climbed onto the bed. She had tried to reach the top bunk, but her leg injury made it impossible. Weiss did her best to comfort her, insisting that Ruby slept on her own bed until she had healed. Ruby protested, claiming that she'd be fine with her usual optimism. Weiss was having none of it. She wore a brave face, but she knew how uneasy watching her partner made her feel.

As Ruby made herself as comfortable as she could, Weiss sat beside her and spoke with the softest tone she could muster, trying to mask the awkwardness in her voice.

"Ruby, since you can't do much for yourself at the minute...I...I'll do my best to get you anything you need." She swallowed hard, glancing in every direction besides Rubys own. This was very uncharacteristic of her, but what else could she do?

"Thanks Weiss, it means a lot to me. But really, I'll be okay!" Ruby smiled, her spirit shining even now. In this condition, she was still positive enough to overlook her hindering injury despite the pain she was going through. She was young, but Weiss was growing to respect and even like her. Not many people were able to do that.

"Uuh...I haven't eaten since this morning..." Ruby began, a little unsure of herself, despite Weiss's reassurance.

"You want me to get you something?" Weiss inquired, standing from her chair and climbing the ladder to the top bunk.

"Uh, if it's not too much trouble. I don't want to interrupt your personal time or anything." Ruby replied, shuffling her hands in her lap sheepishly. Weiss placed Rubys immense bag of items on the floor next to the bed and nodded. She made for the door, still coated in dried blood and dirt. Ruby was about to point this out, but she stopped herself. It was the middle of the afternoon, everybody would be in classes. It wouldn't matter if nobody saw Weiss's pristine clothes or flawless skin in this state.

"Cookies?" Her partner asked, standing in the doorway with her head turned to look back into the dorm. Ruby gave a small nod, followed by a very quiet 'Yes please'. The door clicked shut and she loosened her muscles, sighing visibly. They ached non-stop, and had been since the hit from the Deathstalker. She gently squeezed her knee, and immediately wished she hadn't. Streaks of pain shot up her thigh, stabbing into her torso like knives. Nothing felt out of place, but she couldn't be sure.

She sighed, resting her head against the pillow. She regretted everything that had happened, but she knew that dwelling on it wouldn't change anything. Still, she felt guilty, as though it was her fault that they had all been damaged. She could've prevented it, yet she didn't. They were her responsibility, and she had put them in the way of harm. She'd promised that she would take care of them as a team, but she didn't feel like she was fulfilling that promise.

She questioned her abilities as a leader, but only briefly. She shook her head, throwing the doubts away. They would do her no good, she had her teammates to thank for keeping them at bay.

* * *

Yang sat patiently on the chair next to the bed, holding her forearm steady while a damp cloth was gently wiped across her wounds. It stung, the majority of feeling in her body having returned. She flinched slightly at a particularly deep gash, still gleaming with a trickle of her blood. She watched as a pair of hands carefully and expertly dressed the cut in a bandage, securing it in place around her arm. They moved with confidence and skill, yet they were shaking slightly.

Blake was concentrating hard, the sheer number of wounds her partner had sustained was incredible. There wasn't a patch of skin anywhere on her arms that wasn't red with either pain or blood. She focused on dressing the injuries, adjusting Yangs arm position to give her an easier time with the bandages. She was silently very worried, Yang looked to have lost an immense amount of blood. She was paler than usual, and her face was distinctly more drained than Blake would've liked.

Yang wasn't entirely concentrating on her partners help, still emotionally reeling from the heartfelt hug they had shared a little earlier. Blake had held her with such understanding, such empathy. It was though words weren't needed, she knew exactly how Yang was feeling and exactly what to do. She was warm and gentle, despite Yangs own impulsiveness. Blake truly did understand how much she meant to Yang, even through her blanked memory.

"Okay, you're about as good as you can be." Said Blake, rising from the bed to rinse the bloodied cloth. Yang gently flexed her arms to make sure they were physically sound. They throbbed with a dull pain, but there didn't seem to be any severe problems.

"Just be careful." Blake told her, keeping her tone serious. "You've been through a lot, what you need now is rest." Yang smirked to herself, pushing the chair back to the wall.

"Y'know, I should be telling you that." She grinned, watching her partner as she turned the tap off. Blake wrung the cloth once and placed it on the edge of the bowl. She turned to look at her friend, beaten and bloodied. She was still smiling.

"I'd rather not go down that path." She replied flatly, continuing before Yang had the chance to respond. "I don't know about you, but I'm going to visit Ruby. It looks like her leg may be broken." Yangs smile vanished in an instant, replaced by a somewhat panicked look.

"What? Broken? How do you know?" Gone was the relative happiness, now her words were tinged with visible worry. Blake kept her voice calm, attempting to avoid concerning her partner further. The last thing she wanted to do was make Yangs day worse.

"I don't. I said it looks like it might be broken. She hardly put any weight on it at all, but it doesn't seem to be out of place. It'd be best to have it scanned to make sure, but I doubt she's in any mood to go through with that right now." She paused, reading the expression on Yangs face. "Yang, there's nothing you can do about it now. Worrying will only make things worse. We can go back to the dorm and you can ask her yourself."

"What else could it be?" Yang asked quickly, searching for an alternative explanation. She held her arms tightly to her chest, and Blake feared she'd unknowingly put pressure on the fresh wounds.

"It could just be a simple bruise, there's no way of knowing yet." She took a few steps forward, subtly gesturing to return to the dorm. Yang swallowed her worry for the moment and nodded, her partner was right. She followed behind Blake through the corridors, only now taking heed of the lack of feeling in her legs. They were completely numb from the cold, and now fatigue. She wanted nothing more than to sleep, but she knew she wouldn't be able to rest knowing that her sister may have a serious injury and there was nothing she could do about it.

* * *

They walked in silence, only the lightening rain accompanying their footsteps. Weiss was right, the storm was beginning to clear up. She was very knowledgeable like Blake, but she never deemed it necessary to share any information unless she had to. She would much rather keep it for herself than let anyone else have it, but perhaps Yang was overthinking things. Her emotions were still rolling around her head in turmoil, each fighting for her attention.

Blake opened the door quietly, standing to one side to let Yang enter the room first. She knew that her partner was entirely focused on her sister, and that Blake would have time to talk to Ruby later. For now she was content to watch the two converse, Ruby being uncharacteristically careful to avoid pressing Yangs arms as they hugged. They radiated with happiness, a contrast to the events of this morning. Blake wasn't sure if she wanted to remember what had happened, but she reasoned that she would have to do so sooner or later. She was not looking forward to that.

"Are you hurt?" Asked Yang breathlessly, oblivious to the irony of the question. The myriad of bandages wrapped around her arms and shoulders screamed the answer to the very same question Ruby was about to ask.

"Well, I have a few bruises and cuts," She began, pointing to the medium sized scratch that ran across her forehead and the large, dark purple patches on her stomach and arms. "But nothing that I haven't had before." She didn't want to tell anyone about the unnatural feeling she had about her knee, it would just make them worry. She had to be strong for them, not the other way around.

"Anything else?" Pressed Yang, wishing for her younger sister to tell her about her leg. She felt her heart sink a little as Ruby shook her head slowly. She understood if Ruby didn't want to tell her, but she didn't understand why. She shot a glance over her shoulder at Blake, who kept her face blank. Yang trusted her partners senses, she had been saved by them more than once. She didn't want to rush anything, but the pain was evident behind Rubys eyes.

Silently sighing to herself, she sat on the edge of the bed next to Ruby. She pulled the bag onto her lap, wincing slightly at the pain that flared up her arms as she did so. She spent a moment absent-mindedly rummaging through it, not finding anything of interest. She looked up at the click of the door, noticing Blake had moved onto her own bed at this point. She too had diverted her attention to the door, watching as Weiss returned with a large plate piled with various biscuits and cookies on it. She carried it with precision, her hands were steady despite the ordeal she'd been through.

Ruby heaved herself into a more upright sitting position, aided by Yang as she propped her younger sister up. Ruby reached out and took the plate from Weiss, thanked her and immediately began devouring them at an alarming rate. She was hungry, that much was obvious. Even though they were recovering from their injuries and the mental wounds, there was a faint sense of normality. Yang gazed over at Blake as she thought. Some of them were more damaged than they appeared.


	14. Chapter 14

At some point, someone had closed the curtains and turned on the light, but Blake wasn't aware when. She was far too engrossed in her own thoughts to pay attention to anything else. Her book was open in front of her, but she hadn't turned the page in a while. She was fighting a battle within herself, neither side appearing to have the advantage. On the one hand, she knew that whatever had happened that day was something severe. Her team wouldn't be in this state if it were anything other than dangerous. On the other, she was unsure if she actually wanted to remember. Something had triggered something else, somewhere in her brain, but she couldn't find what it was.

It was as though it had sealed off all memories of the mornings events, locking them away so she could never discover them. Her curiosity was at odds with her common sense, each clashing for her attention. She considered the repercussions of remembering, reasoning that she had blocked them for some reason. She didn't entirely trust herself, something that constantly lurked in the back of her mind. Blissful ignorance or potentially ruinous truth? She bit her lip absently, dimly aware of the sleeping Ruby on the other side of the room. Weiss was nowhere to be seen, nor was Yang.

Blake glanced sideways, watching the rhythmic rising and falling of Rubys deep sleep. Exhaustion had taken its toll on the young girl, her energy finally giving way to the tiredness. It was good that she wasn't inadvertently trying to wound herself even further by trying to behave normally. Largely due to Weiss's insistence, she had remained lying on the bed, surrounded by sketches and books. If Blake were to guess, she would be attempting to distract herself from her own negative emotions. The day had wore on them all, in more ways than one.

She heard a shuffling above her, accompanied by whispered mumbling. Blake could make out the words 'sting' and 'pain' between the incoherence, too quiet to hear properly. Blake guessed that she was referring to her arm injuries as she tried to get comfortable. Her book closed with a small 'whump' as she sighed under her breath to herself. She reached over and placed it on the beside table, a quiet but familiar voice sounding above her.

"Blake?" It was Yang all right, but she wasn't hanging off the edge as she normally was.

"Mhm?" Blake replied, mindful not to wake Ruby from her sleep.

"Can we talk?" Yangs voice was much more subdued than usual, something that unsettled Blake. Once again, she was trying to think logically, but there was a gut feeling that she couldn't shift.

"Of course." She kept her tone softer than usual, there would be no need for her blank routine this time.

"I'm worried, Blake." Yang whispered, barely audible.

"About Ruby?" Blake queried, unsure if her partner was referring to her sister or herself.

"Yes, but something else." She knew what Yang was going to say, but she didn't know how to respond. The silence lingered for mere seconds, but it passed as though they were minutes. Finally, Yang continued.

"About you." The way she spoke was reminiscent of the events that happened earlier that day. Blake remembered vividly the way Yang clung to her, as though she was something far beyond the measures of worth. It was as if they were entwined with one another. She had felt the tears welling in her eyes as she held her partner close, listening to her muffled sobs as she vented her bottled emotions. '_The side of Yang nobody gets to se_e_._'

Fighting to keep her heartbeat steady, Blake took a moment to make a decision. She stood and climbed the ladder soundlessly, sitting cross-legged at the foot of Yangs bed.

"Why?" She asked, unable to avert her eyes from the scratched and torn skin that pained Blake to even look at it. She imagined Yang to be in immense pain for every movement, yet doing her best not to show it. Yang leant forwards a little, allowing Blake to glimpse the upper regions of her chest. Even there she bore injuries, and Blake imagined they went even further down than that.

"Because of what happened out there today. It wasn't right." Yang answered, her brilliant violet eyes fused with a mixture of pain, concern, and deep inside, Blake could see the tint of fear. Her own amber eyes widened slightly, her mind racing through what she recalled. Again was she battling internally with herself, though she kept her focus on her partner. To have Yang behave like this was unnerving, Blake wasn't sure if she wanted to ask.

Before her brain could process it, the growing interest forcefully pushed its way past her mind and through her mouth.

"What happened?"

As she felt the remnants of the question evaporate from her lips, Yangs brow furrowed.

"You don't remember?" She asked in mild shock, staring directly at her teammate.

Blake shook her head, slowly at first. "No. I know that we were in the forest, but after that, everything is blank. I woke in the infirmary, and you were like this-" She pointed with her eyes to Yangs arms. "-and Ruby and Weiss were injured. I don't understand why I'm not hurt." She added to herself. _'It's like you suffered my injuries for me._'

Yang began to retell the incident in as much detail as she could, her voice quivering slightly as she remembered herself. Blake could sense the sadness in her voice, even through the hushed way she was speaking. The corners of Yangs eyes welled up as the sequence progressed, she was almost crying again by the time she'd reached the end.

"You just stopped. You didn't even try to get out of the way. Why? What did it do to you? What's wrong, Blake?"

It tore at Blakes heart to see her friend like this, to hear the pain in her voice. She did her best to mask her sympathy, taking a minute to gather herself. The new information was disturbing to her, especially now that she could see what effects it had on Yang.

"I wish I knew." She said simply.

There was nothing else she could say. Yang read the guilt in her eyes, as though she was ashamed that she couldn't remember. She could feel her emotions flaring up again, threatening to overtake her senses. Despite this, she couldn't pull herself away from the mesmerizing golden orbs. They captivated her in a way she'd never experienced before, seeding unfamiliar feelings into her heart.

Blake blinked, momentarily breaking the trance Yang had put herself in. The yellow-haired girl visibly jolted back, somewhat alarmed to be back to her senses. She put a hand to her forehead and wiped the sweat off with her palm. '_That's odd...it's not unusually warm in here, and yet her temperature is clearly climbing. I wonder..._'

She decided to voice her thoughts, though the wording and tone surprised her, it didn't sound characteristically emotionless or plain as she used normally.

"Yang, are you ill? You seem unnaturally hot." Yang blinked twice, once to clear the tears that she had bit back and once to register just what Blake had said. She was somewhat speechless, narrowing her eyes slightly in suspicion.

"Uh...I'm fine. Are you?" She asked, keeping her voice down and leaning closer, her hair falling off her shoulders. She watched Blakes expressions change from mild curiosity to panic, though Blake quickly subdued it in an attempt to remain unfazed.

"You could say that. I've been thinking a lot, that's all." Yang appreciated how convincing she could sound, but she knew that Blake was hiding something from her. She decided to press forwards, lying on her stomach with her elbows propping her head in her palms, ignoring the flared pain that resulted.

"I've noticed. About what?" It was almost unreal to her how the conversation between the two of them seemed nearly normal. If it weren't for the worry clawing at her heart or the bandages wrapped around her arms, she would assume nothing had ever happened. She watched with genuine interest as Blake shuffled her position slightly, showing a rarely seen restlessness.

"Well...you remember how Professor Ozpin told us that there had only been reports?" Blake asked, attempting to keep the subject in Yangs focus. The other girl nodded, giving Blake the clear to continue. "Doesn't it strike you as odd how something that caused this much unrest has only been reported? Nobody has actually seen it?" Yang pondered the question for a second, tilting her head slightly to one side.

"I guess. But it's easy to forget when you're running away in terror." She instantly regretted using that word, but by the time she caught herself it had already been said. She gave a mental sigh. Thankfully, it didn't seem to affect Blake at all, her face retained its seriousness.

"I agree, but it still seems...off. I can't quite put my finger on it." The black-haired girl was staring behind Yang at the wall, drifting into her thoughts again. Her partner waited patiently for Blake to carry on, but the silence hung in the air for minutes. Eventually, Yang gave up and instead contented herself with admiring her partner up-close. It seemed like the perfect time to do so, as Blake wasn't paying attention and nobody else was around.

Yang slowly drew her eyes across her friend, from the tips of her bow, down her luxurious jet-black hair. She noticed the paleness of her skin, the smoothness of her eyes. Their colour was incredible, a contrast to the attire she usually wore. Her lips were almost inviting, leading Yangs gaze across her sleek cheekbones and down her neck. It appeared so sleek and fragile, but it belied her abilities. Interesting thoughts drifted across Yangs mind, invoking images and ideas that she wasn't quite rejecting. It wouldn't hurt to only think about things like this, so long as she didn't act on them. Right?

Blakes mind was gradually being made up. She desired the truth too much to let this worry her any further. She had to find out for herself what had happened previously, it was the only way she would find peace with these troubling thoughts. There was only one way she could see to achieve her goal, and though she questioned the legality of it, that wouldn't stop her from obtaining the answers she wanted. It would happen tonight.


	15. Chapter 15

The storm had passed, with only the lightening rain tapping against the window as a reminder to most people. Everyone was quiet, too tired to speak. Yang had returned to her bunk, silently cradling her arms in her lap. They stung with every movement she made, stabbing at her constantly. She didn't regret what she had done, and she'd carry her teammate through the forest again if she had to, but the lashing branches had left their mark. Not only was she covered in red wounds of various shades, she had also lost a considerably large amount of blood. She was drained, her energy sapped. She could barely bring herself to reach for a book.

She was by no means concentrating on reading, casting glances to her right every minute or so to check up on their bedridden leader. She knew that _something_ was wrong that Ruby wasn't telling them, and if Blake was correct, it was a lot more serious than the young girl was telling. She was putting on a brave face, that much was obvious. Yang watched as she held her knee protectively, wishing only that she was okay. She feared the worst, despite Blakes reassurances that the chances of it being broken are slim. It was her sisterly instincts that gave her the uneasy feeling, she was sure of it.

Weiss wasn't entirely comfortable sitting on the top bunk, somewhat terrified of the precarious methods that Ruby employed to keep it in the air. The rope was going to snap, she knew it would. And then there would be an enormous crash and most likely a huge accident. She dreaded to think what would happen if it collapsed while Ruby was underneath, crushed to a pulp. She doubted she would be able to sleep at all tonight, with or without exhaustion. She kept quiet about her fears, it was the last thing Ruby needed right now, and Weiss didn't like the sound of a very angry Yang bearing down on her, especially in the state she was in.

She checked her scroll briefly, announced to her team that she was going to try for an early night and began making her preparations, quietly but efficiently going about her business. Blake watched from the corner of her eye as Weiss tidied the mess that was Rubys bed and then set about changing in the bathroom. She didn't take more than a few minutes, placing her immaculately folded but filthy clothes in a neat pile at the foot of the bed. She bid Ruby a good night, warned her not to stay up too late and rest, climbed the ladder and settled herself in.

Blake guessed that Ruby would be the next to turn in, Yang most likely would hold off her own tiredness until she was satisfied Ruby was asleep. It was comforting to know that Yang cared about her leader not only as a sister, but also as a friend. It was rare for Blake to be close to one person, let alone three at once, and she wasn't entirely at ease with them yet. Her past experiences had given her a feeling of isolation that she couldn't shift, no matter how hard she tried.

* * *

Sure enough, Ruby gave a small sigh a little later and leant over, dropping her books into the bag at the side of the bed and very slowly easing herself into what passed for a comfortable position. She had told Weiss not to worry, but in truth she yearned to be under the covers, it was an uncharacteristically cold night and the room was chilled. She didn't want to disturb Yang or Blake, but it seemed her sister knew what she was feeling without having to say anything. Upon noticing Rubys slightly pained face, Yang had hurried over to the bed and pulled off Rubys boots, gently helping her sister under the sheets. They were both too tired to go through changing Ruby out of her cloak and clothes, so Yang instead unfolded a blanket from under the bed, draped it over Rubys body and kissed her on the forehead.

Yang returned to her bunk, grimacing as she climbed, still forgetting her injuries until they shot into her senses. Throughout the entire day, her mind had been split between worrying over Ruby, and worrying over Blake. She did not even consider her own pain, even for the brief moments it overtook her thoughts. Since that morning there had been a distinct feeling of unease in the pits of her stomach that no amount of forced optimism could shift. She wanted Blake to open up, but she knew that was asking too much of her partner, especially after what she had been through. On the other hand, Ruby was temporarily disabled, requiring someone to be with her at all times. Yang knew that all three of them would take good care of her, but she still felt an obligation to help, as though it was her duty.

Content as she could be with Rubys state, she pushed her frets aside as well as she could and whispered a goodnight to Blake, burying herself under the bedclothes. It didn't take long for her injuries and fatigue to catch up with her as she rapidly fell into a deep sleep, finally nursing her tired everything. Blake didn't respond, planning out the course of the night. She would wait a decent amount of time to confirm all three of her teammates were asleep, and then she would make her move.

* * *

It must have been an hour at the least, and none of the four in that room had moved much since. Yang was snoring into her pillow, muffled by the fabric, sleep had well and truly taken her away. Ruby shifted frequently, but her body language was not as active as she would have been normally. Blake decided this was as good as she could get, Ruby would most likely be in too much discomfort to pay any attention to the vacant bed beside her. All was quiet above, so Weiss must have fallen asleep too. It seemed like a perfect time to slip away. Blake checked her scroll, careful not to shine it into any eyes. _12:39. Good enough._

She folded it back into her pocket, silently pulled a bundle of Yangs spare clothes from the pile in the corner and rolled them into makeshift balls. Stuffing them under the covers, she was sure that if anyone woke up they wouldn't bother looking to make sure that she was actually there. The darkness was on her side once again as she took a second to make sure her illusion was convincing, somewhat pleased that she'd made a plausible looking 'person' in such a short time. She felt the reassuring touch of Gambol Shroud on her back and opened the door, smoothly moving to the opposite side and closing it behind her with a faint click.

In an ideal world, she would be able to complete her task and return undetected, both by her team and anyone else that she may happen to come across. She knew all too well that the time held little meaning for some people, and so she set her guard high. Moving swiftly down the hallway, she was mindful of her foot placement to minimize sound. Her natural stealth would benefit her regardless of the time of day, but the monotonous night outside and the near blind level of light would make it even easier. She was used to a lack of vision, her eyes far above those of an average human. She could make out the corners and turns minutes before she arrived at them, her eyes having adjusted to the gloom.

She was glad of her memory, as she had only walked this path once before in a rush. It had taken her minutes back then, but she remembered well enough to know which places people would most likely be around. Time was on her side tonight, but she kept her pace up, much preferring to have this over and done with as soon as she could. She passed nobody as she moved, glad that she had planned ahead of time. She could hear the faint ruckus of a late night in one of the dorms, no doubt celebrating over some mindless achievement. She was careful to avoid artificial light, sticking close to the walls by instinct.

A frantic but weak rapping sound bounced through the corridors, a clear indication that someone was approaching in a hurry. Flattening herself against the wall in the corner, she placed herself in an optimal position to avoid detection. If they chose to move past her, she would be completely hidden from their sight, melding into the shadows as though she was one herself. The sound grew louder as she traced it with her eyes through the walls. They rounded the corner, nearly bumping into it as they did so. She was right, probably a student that had forgotten something important. He dashed past, completely unaware of her presence.

She listened intently, waiting motionless until there was no sound besides the rain. She resumed moving, certain that she was nearing the midpoint of her journey. She broke from the building onto the amphitheatre, feeling a sense of relief wash over her as she sprinted around the perimeter. One of the hard parts was completed, but the hardest was yet to come. The ground was sodden, and she knew better than to leave wet footprints trailing behind her. She timed her heartbeat with her footsteps, cautiously winding her way across the buildings.

The ensuing minutes passed without a hitch, and she found herself standing outside a door with a window behind her and not a soul in sight. It was dark inside, but even so she daren't drop her guard. She felt her body tense up as she reached for the handle, a sense of guilt creeping into her mind. She knew the risks and had decided to continue despite them, she wasn't about to stop now. She pulled firmly, easing the door open without a sound. She pushed it open just enough to slip through the gap and closed it slowly behind her. A golden plate read above the door.

'Headmasters Office'


	16. Chapter 16

It was hopeless trying to sleep, there was no way she would ever get comfortable in this deathtrap. Sighing in frustration, she propped herself against her pillow and allowed her eyes some time to adjust to the darkness, her senses rousing themselves from the dozing state they were in. It was dark, and still raining, so it was probably some time early in the morning as she had drifted off some time after 11PM. With that said, there was really no way to tell without checking the time herself, and she really didn't want to blind herself while her life was at risk.

Weiss pulled back the covers and slid down, making no sounds as she eased one of the suitcases out from under her bed, extremely aware of the sleeping Ruby beside her. She clicked it open as gently as she could and retrieved a fresh set of clothes, putting them in a neat pile beside her. She wasn't going to be getting much, if any, sleep tonight and so she may as well get ready for the morning beforehand. She pushed the case slowly back underneath, gathered her clothes and rose to her feet, peering through the murky blackness at the room to avoid hitting anything.

She made her way to the bathroom, closing the door behind her and then switching on the light, immediately covering her eyes with her hand. She groaned quietly to herself, not being a morning person by any stretch of the imagination. It took her a minute to come around, taking out her scroll with one hand and flicking it open with her thumb.

"Ugh. 1:12AM. Way too early." She pushed it shut and left it on the next to the sink as she looked at herself in the mirror. Her hair was largely acceptable, with only a few strands going against the flow. It was a different story with her eyes, they were in differing stages of opening, giving her the look of a brain-dead zombie, something that she didn't appreciate in the slightest. She spent a few seconds weighing her choices, either spend another 6 hours trying to sleep, or busy herself until in began to brighten up. It wasn't really a fair choice, and pretty soon she had changed from her nightgown into her usual attire, adjusted her hair into her familiar ponytail and brushed it, quietly smug that she was gifted with incredible beauty.

She didn't mind admiring herself for something many others lacked, but she was sure to mask it when she was around other people to avoid any confrontations. She knew people stared at her as she walked past, and she appreciated the attention, just not the person. She rinsed her hands and dried them off, checking herself over to make sure she wasn't forgetting anything important. She had her clothes, her hair, and her necklace. Everything was set, she looked herself up and down once more for good measure and took her scroll, hitting off the light as she left.

It was dark for her again, but she could make out the shapes of the beds, the desk and the bookshelves. This was enough for her to move, so she gingerly made her way back to the top bunk to retrieve Myrtenaster from under her pillow, pulling the weapon out in one clean motion and sheathing it on her hip with a satisfying click. She pushed her covers back tidily over the pillow, much preferring things to be clean and orderly than a huge mess. She could see the mane of golden hair through the darkness as she descended, and the sleeping form of Blake on the bed below. It seemed like she was the only one awake, much to her delight. She would've preferred for it to be later in the morning than this, but she was going to take what she could get. Combat practice would be empty so she would have it all to herself, it would be good to give herself a chance to distract herself from her worries.

Weiss recounted her equipment in her head, methodically going over everything twice to make sure she had everything she needed. She wasn't about to let her tired mind forget anything, that wouldn't be what was expected of her.

'_Myrtenaster. Check. That's everything, time to-_' Her mental note ended abruptly as she noticed something strange. Ruby was asleep, still in her clothes. Yang too was out for the count, and it looked like Blake was too. But there was no familiar bow on her head. She always slept wearing it, didn't she? Weiss did a quick recap in her head, recalling the past month or so since they had met. Even on the first night of Beacon Blake had worn her bow with her sleeping garments even then. Come to think of it, Weiss didn't think there was ever a time when Blake hadn't wore it on her head. Whatever the reason, a rising curiosity was building inside her.

Blake wouldn't mind if she took a peek, right? She didn't even have to know! Weiss inched closer, somewhat unsure why she was so interested in something so menial as this, but the desire to know was burning. She drew level with the lumps under the covers and leant in closer, there was no head on the pillow. Blake slept curled up in a ball? She craned her neck slowly, leaning over as far as she dared to try and glimpse underneath the sheets. There was no raven hair, no head, nothing even remotely body like. Weiss frowned a little, deciding to risk hooking one hand on the edge of the quilt and raising it upwards incredibly slowly.

She could make out something under there, but it didn't look human. Her confidence grew with every passing second, and she was increasingly certain that whatever she did next wouldn't end badly. She took a sharp breath and reached under the covers, feeling her hand grasp around fabric. Nothing happened, no movement, no surprised reactions. She pulled, revealing one of Yangs skirts. A look of supreme puzzlement danced across Weiss's face as she dropped it on the pillow and reached under again. This time, it was a jacket, again from Yang. She pulled them all the way back and stifled a quizzical gasp. There were bundles and piles of clothes arranged underneath the sheets to look like a person. Blake was nowhere to be seen.

* * *

The office was a confusing mess, with boxes and folders stacked on top of eachother on the shelves, and even on the windowsill. Blake took a second to think, the documents she was looking for were recent, and so Ozpin would most likely still have them in the vicinity of his desk. She glanced around, her eyes passing over rows of books on the walls, various trophy like items lined up neatly and a large cupboard in the lefthand corner. There didn't seem to be an actual workspace in here, but she caught the outline of a door at the far end of the room, partially obscured by the large shelf in her way, filled with boxes of an incredible array of sizes.

She worked her way around, noting the dimensions and layout of the room for future reference. It was a sideways L shape, with the entrance door at one end. A shelf that scraped the ceiling ran from one wall three quarters of the way across, leaving a modest gap to move through between the cupboard in the corner and the back wall. Past that, there was another wooden shelf in the center, two small pathways circling around it led to another door at the end, flanked by the wall on one side and a row of bookshelves on the other. Boxes were strewn around, occupying every non-essential space. It looked more like a storage room than an office to Blake, but she knew she was in the right place.

The door was locked, unsurprisingly. Blake exhaled hard, this was just what she didn't want. She observed the lock, it seemed to be a straightforward thing to undo. There was most likely no need to worry about somebody breaking in to the headmasters office, and so they didn't bother with a complex setup. She withdrew her katana from its sheath and gently rested the tip inside the hole, teasing it around until she felt the metal touch. She concentrated hard, tilting it upwards and applying pressure, easing it around. A satisfying click sounded as she worked, causing a brief smirk to flash across her face.

She put her weapon back into place and pushed the door open inch by inch, stepping through with her entire body in one motion, closing it behind her without a wasted movement. This room was far tidier, and she guessed that this was where the headmaster actually worked. There was an ornate wooden desk in the direct center of the room, with a luxurious green chair behind it. One large window was on the wall to the left, with a small case of books lined neatly underneath it. Another more ordinary chair sat askew opposite the desk, which had an assortment of items on its polished wooden surface.

Sheets of paper were piled neatly on top of one-another on one corner, with a folder lying to the side of them. A pot of something sat on the edge, with something dipped inside it. Blake scanned for possible hiding places, and formed an escape plan upon seeing that there wasn't any, not in this room. She checked the window, it was locked too. The rain yet still tapped the glass, but it was far lighter than before. She could make out the ocean below, and added this location to her mental map of the building, storing it for future use.

Blake wasn't tired, but she could feel her hands shaking. She steeled herself, now was not the time for errors. She had to be fast and efficient, nobody could know that she was ever here. The papers were of no interest, she flicked through the folder and scanned each page. She placed it back exactly the way she had found it and pulled open the drawer, filing through everything inside. Her eyes darted over the words, searching for the correct date. There was no physical way of speeding the process up, but Blake cleared the first in a matter of minutes, rifling through the second with the same careful haste she had come to master.

She plucked a thin, faded yellow folder from the pile and rotated it to look at the date. It was very recent, and was not named. She put it on the desk and stood over it, one arm turning the pages and the other supporting her weight as she worked. It was filled with immaculate handwriting, detailing students reporting of something unusual at the eastern end of the forest. Blake felt her heart tighten as she read, taking in information about the loss of an entire team in one night, with the search parties yielding nothing to show they were still alive. It seemed that many people had seen something, but only a few actually made it back to tell the tale.

Her eyes widened in alarm, reading that the survivors had been threatened with expulsion to keep quiet, forced to hide their fears or be evicted from the academy. The sightings dated back weeks, even months. Blake read notes on each page, summarizing every single case. The pressure on her heart increased as she read, too absorbed to stop. She felt a growing sense of dread, everything was piecing itself together in a disturbing display of deceit. This thing has been killing students for a long time, Ozpin had known about it since the beginning, and despite all the signs he still sent them to investigate anyway?

There was only one reason that Blake could see, and all the evidence pointed towards it as the truth. He had sent them to die, and they hadn't. Her eyes were deep with shock at her discovery, her mind racing through what she had learned. She caught a click in the background and immediately reacted, closing the folder and sliding it back into the pile. She shut the drawer and moved rapidly to the side of the door, listening intently into the other room. Someone was moving around in there, and Blake had a good idea who it was. The footsteps grew louder, matching her rising horror. Within seconds, she could hear a key being pulled from a pocket. She fought to keep her breathing slow and quiet, timing it with every other heartbeat to give her the best chance she had at evading detection.

It tapped against the lock and gently pushed open, the door hiding her from sight. She watched with baited breath as a figure calmly stepped into the room and looked around, spectacles glinting off the window. He moved slowly around the desk, with his back turned to her. She took her chance, breaking from her cover and spinning around, clearing the doorway in one move and immediately pressing herself against the wall, silently terrified. She caught the muffled noise of someone turning, then footfalls that began to walk back towards the entrance, they were coming back. She did her best to calm herself, feeling her heart hammering against her chest. She ducked into a crouch and made her way across the room, keeping her back millimetres from the wall underneath what little light the windows offered.

She froze upon hearing the silence, he had stopped in the doorway. Any movement now would just alert him to her presence, and she knew this all too well. Her body fought against her resolve, willing her to run, but she knew that if she did, it would all be over. She couldn't let that happen. The seconds ticked by with agonising tension, seeming to drag on forever. It took all of Blakes strength to keep her feet rooted to the spot, despite their protests. A tiny wave of relief came over her as she heard him turn, push the light switch and close the door behind him. Every sound pierced through her ears like knives. Even so, she daren't move, not yet. She counted the seconds in her head, well aware that she wasn't safe by any means. '_Four. Three. Two. One._'

She made her move, darting for the door in a blind panic. She instantly slowed herself, seconds from swinging it open and slamming it behind her in a rush. She regained her level head and pulled gently, mentally wincing at the small click as it opened slowly. She tugged, halting the momentum and switchng arms, easing it shut as she left. The final click sounded, the trigger for relief to wash through her body as she exhaled, regaining herself for a second. Her instincts kicked in again, sending her moving back the way she had came at a swift pace. She was still careful to avoid any unneeded sound, but the ominous words lingered in her head, not quite giving way to the adrenalin rush of her encounter.

Her mind was racing as she wound her way back through the maze of walls, retracing her steps by memory. The wide expanse of the amphitheatre loomed ahead, giving her the impression of an arena. She did not appreciate the thought, casting the memory from her mind. She halted in place, watching carefully as a figure emerged from the darkness at the other side of the circle. They were dressed in pure white, an off-center ponytail hanging in line with the bottom of a beautifully elegant dress. Her eyes were a brilliant ice blue, Blake could see them clearly even through the darkness. She held her back to the wall, completely immersed in the shadows the spires gifted her with.

Her eyes narrowed as she watched her teammate slowly walk around the edge, avoiding the rain. Blakes plan had to change, she didn't expect anyone to be awake. There was a chance, however small that Weiss had discovered her absence and had come to search for her. She could avoid the heiress entirely and deal with the inevitable questions later, or she could attempt to silence her now and avoid raising any more suspicions. Blake settled on the latter, she didn't want to worry anybody even further, especially Yang. She reached for her weapon, removing it from her back and holding it flat against the wall, waiting for the perfect time to strike.

She kept her breathing steady as Weiss approached, oblivious to her presence in the shade. The footsteps served as Blakes timer, giving her the rhythm with which to act without risking injuring her target. Weiss passed her by, and froze mid-step. She had a katana hovering just in front of her neck, feeling the blade gently kissing her skin. She daren't move, her hand instinticely moving to her rapier. She swallowed hard, her mind racing with her heart. She forced herself to speak, keeping her voice as indifferent as she could.

"Blake?" She asked, breathing sharply. The blade dropped immediately as Weiss spun around, locking eyes with her teammate in a mixture of surprise, curiosity and anger. Blake stared back, still holding her weapons in either hand. Her expression was emotionless as usual, but her body language spoke volumes. She was tense, very nervous, and visibly distressed. Her voice was softer this time, but it retained its edge.

"What are you doing?"


	17. Chapter 17

**Authors Note: After rereading this chapter, I decided to merge this and what would've been Chapter 18 together. I apologize for any inconvenience! **

* * *

It had taken some persuading, but Weiss had agreed to hold off on her questions until Blake was confident they could speak without being overheard. She held back only because she saw the fear in Blakes eyes as they met before it was buried underneath her mask. She had the same uneasy feeling as yesterday, lurking in the pits of her stomach. She knew something wasn't quite right, an idea only reinforced by Blakes seemingly erratic behaviour. Trying to hide her absence with clothes? Wandering around in the middle of the night? Weiss's mind raced with questions that she so desperately wanted to ask, but she bit her tongue and followed her teammate upwards, taking stairs two at a time to keep pace.

Eventually they arrived at the highest accessible point of the Academy, a ring of pillars supporting the central spire above the namesake Beacon. Blake leant slightly with her back to the wall, grateful that she had successfully avoided detection. Her heart hadn't stopped pounding since she unlocked the door and only now, up here with someone she trusted was she finally starting to calm down. She seized the initiative, answering Weiss's first question before she had the chance to speak.

"I satisfied my own curiosity." She began strongly, but her voice lowered to match her head as she continued. "I partially wish that I hadn't."

"What's that supposed to mean? What are you even doing at this time of the morning?" Weiss's barrage of questions slammed against Blakes working mind, still trying to make sense of everything. The heiress's posture was impatient, she was not pleased about the situation. Her arms were folded and her legs perfectly aligned, boots fractionally submerged in one of the many puddles of rainwater that scattered the surface. Blake felt a few drops fall on her skin and knew that the storm had finally passed. Clouds still blanketed the sky, but they weren't threatening as they had been earlier. She sighed, wary of her words.

"I wanted to know why there was no real reasoning behind our mission." She watched Weiss's expression change and knew that she was about to open her mouth. Blake quickly continued, aware of the other girls impatience. "That letter, and therefore Professor Ozpin, said that there had only been reports of something. There were no descriptions, no sightings, no anything. Something as big as that will stick in memories, but there was nothing. I found out myself why that was."

Weiss's eyes narrowed slightly, her tone taking a more suspicious note.

"And?"

"And, he had known about it for months. Dozens of people had seen it, but it had killed nearly every single one of them. The few that returned were forced to keep quiet, otherwise they would be expelled. He knew that they valued their position here above that knowledge, so he scared them into silence." Blake kept her voice flat, observing her teammates face morph into one of shock. There was no going back now, Weiss knew the truth too.

"So..." She began, holding her head by her hand. "Ozpin knew that it was killer, but he still sent us? Why would he do that?" There was a distinct quiver in her voice this time, Blake could hear it between her attempts at staying calm. She straightened up, keeping her expression blank.

"You know why." Blake replied simply, it was the only possible reason she could see. Weiss stuttered at first, struggling to accept the information.

"W-well maybe that's not true. Maybe he thought we could take care of it? Maybe he saw something in us that he didn't in anyone else?" She was gesturing with her arms, and Blake could see the growing anxiety circling around her like a cloak.

"Do you really believe that?" She asked, loosely folding her arms to reassure herself that she was in control of the situation.

"It has to be! He wouldn't do something like that, he's not that kind of person!" Her voice was getting louder, and Blake motioned for her to quieten down. She practically hissed, worry lacing her voice. "How do you know?"

"I looked at the file." She shrugged, believing it was a natural thing to do. She felt a pang of guilt as Weiss's eyes grew wider and she calmed a little, mouthing something to herself. Blake nearly flinched at the speed of her response.

"You stole it?! Are you completely insane? Wha-how did you even get to it in the first place? Did you break in to his office? Is that why you shoved those clothes in your bed, so nobody would notice you were gone?" She flung her arms in disbelief, her eyes wide. Blake gave a small nod, painfully aware of what she had done. She didn't regret it by any means, but a part of her wished that she had left it alone.

"I read as much as I could before he came back." She decided against letting her teammate know about the close encounter, preferring her to know only as much as she had to.

"And you didn't think to take it with you?" Weiss replied, again raising her voice without realising. Blake shook her head slowly, maintaining her passive facade.

"He would've known that someone had been there. I'm the only one of us that could successfully attempt something like that, and he's not stupid. I'm the first and only suspect. I don't need the file. I remember what it said." She watched with slight discomfort at the heiresses unease, feeling her own heart beginning to speed up. She waited for the next question, knowing better to say something when nothing needed to be said.

"We...we have to tell Yang and Ruby. We can't keep this from them, they have a right to know just as much as we do." Her heart was starting to speak for her, something that Blake admired her for. Underneath the cold exterior there really was something worth having. Even so, she disagreed with Weiss's suggestion.

"In their state? No. That would only make things worse. Do you want to put this on them the way they are now?" Weiss frowned, somewhat embarrassed by her own impulsiveness.

"Of course I don't, but we have to do something!" It vanished in an instant, being replaced by her usual hostility, albeit restrained.

"I have an idea of what to do, but I'm not going to share it with you. I'd rather you keep this to yourself, but I know that some way or another you'll let it slip." The snow-haired girls expression darkened, insulted at the implication. Blake continued regardless. "This is important. I don't know exactly what this means, but it doesn't seem good. You _have_ to keep this between you and me, at least until I figure out everything I need to know." She was about to carry on, but her words were cut short.

"This isn't just about you. This is about all of us. We're all a part of this, and we deserve to know. I'm not going to sit idly by when I know something like this is happening." Blake kept quiet, silently admiring the determination in her words. She may be cold and hostile, but she knew her priorities.

"Whatever it is you're doing, we're doing it together." Blake was going to decline, but something stopped her. The tenacity of Weiss's voice told her that she wasn't going to take no for an answer. Blake let her shoulders drop in acceptance and turned for the door back down into the Academy, feeling the air of uncertainty blanket them in its cover. She was glad to have someone by her side, but she didn't want to drag anyone else into her objectives, or her consequences.

"Alright. We're going to do some research."

* * *

They made their way down in silence, Weiss following behind. She was gradually accepting the facts, but a small part of her insisted that there had to be some other explanation, there had to be. Maybe Blake only saw so much before she was interrupted, or maybe she misunderstood what was written. Weiss wanted to know the details for herself, but Blake was right. Only she would be able to get back in there without being caught, no-one else had the skills needed. Her mind drifted to Ruby, still lying on the bed blissfully unaware. The younger girl idolized Ozpin, and now they would have to tell her that he wasn't what they thought. She gritted her teeth, her mind racing.

Blake pushed open the doors with both hands and made a beeline for the counter, vaulting over it in one bound. She immediately knelt beside the door and set about unlocking it, much to Weiss's surprise. The heiress stood dumbstruck, finding it hard to register just how little Blake cared for rules and boundaries. She stood on the opposite side of the counter and hissed, her spoilt past resurfacing in the form of disbelief.

"What are you doing?! Don't you know how illegal this is?" The ice in her voice melted slightly as Blake turned, giving her one of the most indifferent stares she'd ever seen.

"I'm going to check the recent records, if one of the survivors was here, their history would be logged." Blake ignored the questions completely, turning back to the lock and teasing it left and right. Weiss blinked, unsure of what to say.

"By breaking in?!" She exclaimed, fighting the urge to shout.

"If you want to help, go find as many books on Grimm as you can. Otherwise, you're more than welcome to leave." She let a trickle of frustration seep into her voice, reminding her how much she preferred working alone. No questions, no arguments, just things getting done the way she wanted. She heard the reluctant footsteps fading away and gave a tiny sigh. At least Weiss was willing to do as she asked. Another satisfying click rung through the library as Blake pushed open the door, her eyes adjusting to the complete blackness inside.

Weiss muttered under her breath to herself, rapidly scanning the spines of the various books for anything Grimm related. She plucked the ones of interest from the shelf and held them under one arm, taking them back to a table a few at a time. At least what she was doing was inside legality, but she didn't want to think about what would happen if they were found out. She wanted to help, and she knew that she'd told Blake that they would do it together, but she never imagined the other girl would go to these lengths, let alone pick two locks in one night. Blake was somewhat of an enigma. Weiss never would've put lockpicking as one of her skills, but she seemed to be very proficient at it. She had never struck Weiss as the thief type, but all the signs were there. It made perfect sense.

She was lithe and quiet, and her hands were incredibly dexterous. She did an impressive job of hiding her emotions from others, something that unnerved Weiss once she actually started thinking about it. Just how much of the Blake she thought she knew was real? She shuddered at the thought. If this night had taught her anything, it was that appearances can be deceptive. First Ozpin, and now Blake? She shook her head, reminding herself not to dive in to wild theories. She didn't know for sure if Blake was telling the truth, it wouldn't surprise her to find that she'd lied for some reason. She highly doubted Blake was anything other than the quiet, antisocial girl that preferred to be left alone.

Weiss soothed herself with these thoughts, putting her fears at ease. She made quick work glancing over the hundreds of books lined on each shelf, and soon enough had a small mountain of research piled on top of eachother. She exhaled sharply, glad that the physical part had been done. Her attention turned back to the more serious, and more troubling matter at hand. The door that Blake was working on had been opened, and the other girl was nowhere to be seen. Weiss took a light breath and made her way over, climbing across the counter in a far more civilised manner. She squinted to see into the blackness, hearing paper rustling somewhere inside.

"Blake? Did you find anything?" She asked, standing at the doorway. Her eyes widened a little in shock as she took a large step back, Blake exiting the room with a small folder tucked under her arm. She vaulted the counter in the same way as before, placing the file on the table opposite the books and sitting on the bench. She pulled out her scroll and began tapping it, leaving Weiss holding the door ajar. Weiss blinked, coming back to her senses. Once again did she climb back over the counter, her curiosity getting the better of her once more. She seated herself to the left of Blake and began to read, noting the neatly arranged entries, almost every single title was one that she had already seen as she was collecting the books.

"What are you doing?" She asked, leaning over the table to get a better look at Blakes scroll.

"I'm searching for everything the Academy has on him." Blake pointed at the top of the paper without breaking concentration. Weiss followed her finger, a vague sense of familiarity in her eyes as she read.

"Cardin Winchester? The huge, strong leader of Cardinal? He's a survivor?" She leant in closer, interest taking a firm hold over her thoughts. Blake nodded, pulling up a login screen. She pushed a few buttons, smirking to herself as the staff server gave her access.

"It looks that way." She said, scrolling through massive amounts of text. Weiss narrowed her eyes, a sliver of doubt edging its way into her voice.

"But he has a team. He joined the same time we did." Blake raised her eyebrow, challenging the statement.

"Yes, he did. That doesn't mean they didn't see anything. You saw what they were like, they're all cowards. I imagine everyone else tried to fight it, and paid the price. Those four ran, went straight to Ozpin and he's had them under silence ever since. I'm willing to bet that if I checked the other three records they'd have much the same pattern as this one."

Weiss held her mouth still, in quiet awe of her teammates intellect. She was glad to have her by her side. Her thoughts were once more interrupted, with Blake instructing her to go through each book and relay anything relating to 'Umbra' to her.


	18. Chapter 18

The hours ticked by with frustratingly little progress. Weiss had been through every single book twice and found nothing. She gave a disappointed sigh and closed another book, glancing over to her teammate. Blake was sitting on the edge of the table, an enormous ornate tome laying across her lap. She was flipping through the pages at speed, rapidly skimming across the text in a focused manner. Her scroll was laying beside her, its screen dimmed from lack of use. There was a subtle sense of enthusiasm in the air, Weiss could feel it. Blake was almost excited, but for what reasons remained to be seen.

"Nothing. There is nothing in any of these books that even hints to an 'Umbra'. Are you sure that's what we should be searching for?" She asked, somewhat agitated. Blake turned her head slightly to look at her teammate in the corner of her eye.

"Yes. That's what this is." She pushed the scroll towards Weiss, who pulled it towards her and rotated it, tapping the screen to wake it up. Her eyes widened in brief alarm at the sight before her.

"That's the thing that we saw, the thing that chased us! That's an Umbra?" Blake gave a small nod.

"Like the Deathstalkers, they're incredibly old and very rare, there's only been a handful of recorded sightings. This one wasn't around until recently, so it's probably come from its old territory." She turned another page, disregarding it as worthless and carrying on with her search.

"But why?" Weiss inquired, taking in the picture in front of her. "This looks like a drawing, but it doesn't match any of the ones I've seen in these books. How did you get this?"

"I borrowed Rubys sketchbook. She was drawing this earlier before she slept. I knew she'd want to show Ozpin exactly what she saw, and this was it. This doesn't look like any other Umbra, so it's safe to assume that it isn't from this area."

Weiss's brow furrowed as she bit her lip, fighting the urge to challenge the moral faults in Blakes actions.

"Okay, so what is it? It's not like any of the other Grimm I've seen."

"It's a superpredator. Like the Nevermore, it's always at the top of the food chain. It uses its size and speed to disable prey before they can retaliate. That way, it doesn't risk being injured. You saw what it did. There was no way it would have been able to attack if the Nevermore was in the air, the reason you've never seen it before is because they live in very secluded areas." Blake kept her voice steady, but she could feel her body shaking with memories.

"How do you know all this?" Weiss narrowed her eyes a little, questioning Blakes knowledge of the subject. If they were as rare as Blake claimed, then there couldn't be any other way for her to know. Nothing in the library, and Weiss guessed it was much the same story everywhere else. They were largely unknown to the general populace, even through childrens stories and legends, so just how can one teenager have all this knowledge about something as scarce as this? The other girl lowered her head a little, her mouth twisting into a pained smile that was barely noticeable.

"Let's just say I have experience." Weiss opened her mouth to keep going, but Blake silenced her with a hard stare. She closed the book with a bang, placed it on the table beside her and rose, forcing herself to keep her voice steady.

"Time to go. Ruby will be awake soon, and we can't risk raising her suspicions." She made her way back towards the open door, leaving Weiss to put the books back herself. The heiress held off on pursuing the matter, beating her curiosity back down. She stood up, gathering the books around her into a neat pile. She began the task of putting them back in the right place, soundlessly turning over the possibilities in her head. As much as she wanted to ask, she knew that it would only harm them both more than she could bring herself to do. There was something in Blakes voice that refused to leave her thoughts alone. Just for that moment, her voice sounded hollow, as though her facade was false. It didn't seem right.

The door clicked back into place with a neat tick as Blake finished her task, clearing the counter for the final time in one bound. Weiss was placing the last few books back on the shelves, and Blake contented herself with the knowledge she had learned. What she would do from here would not be easy, but she knew that it was something she would have to do regardless of anything else. She scooped up her scroll in one hand as she left, with Weiss following close behind. Blake noted that she seemed unusually subdued.

* * *

Neither of them spoke on the journey back, nor did they say anything as they approached the dormroom door. Blake immediately settled herself on her bed with a book in hand as they entered, while Weiss knelt beside Rubys bulging bag, rummaging through the assortment of items as quietly as she could. She pulled a worn sketchpad from the mess, its edges frayed with excessive use. She placed it on the desk and turned on the light, skipping the vast amount of illustrations and sketches that littered every spare space. Her hand stopped upon the first empty page and she turned it back once. It was exactly the same as the photo Blake had shown her, Ruby really had drawn the creature that they had fought. Weiss imprinted it on her memory, hearing shuffling sheets behind her as one of the two adjusted their position. She counted herself lucky that they had made it back before either of the sisters had awoke, and somewhat that she had investigated Blakes absence when she did.

Blake lay on her bed, trying to distract herself with the story in front of her. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't shift her thoughts from the disturbing memories she harboured inside. They taunted her every night, reminding her of the coward she really was. Time and time again she tried to block them out, but they always came back. Who was she trying to fool? They were right, she could have prevented everything. But instead she hid, too afraid to face her fears. She was nothing more than a frightened rabbit, fleeing from her past.

For so long she had told herself that it wasn't her fault, that there was nothing she could have done. She knew she was only lying to herself, but she didn't care. How could she have known? Nobody saw it coming, not until it was too late. She was dimly aware of a single tear rolling down her cheek, reminding her of how broken she had become. Her entire body quivered, doubts preying on her fragile emotions. She tried so hard to lie, to show everyone she was alright. They all thought of her as indifferent, none of them knew how difficult it was for her to sleep at night, forever haunted by the dreams she feared so much.

They were always changing, hounding every corner of her mind. There was always a pain that she couldn't escape, no matter where she ran. Sorrow wracked her body endlessly, tears streaming down her face. Desperation settled in her heart as she reached out, too paralyzed to move. She watched in horror as it arrived in the darkness, ending their lives one by one. The people she had cared about the most were always taken from her regardless of how hard she tried to protect them. Despair tore through her voice as she screamed in silence, her eyes wide with panic. It didn't matter what she did. She wasn't strong enough.

Her attention snapped back into the present with a start, hearing a suffering moan carry across the air. Immediately there was movement above as Yang practically fell off her bunk, rushing to her sisters side. She held Rubys hand in both of hers as Weiss came to the injured girls aid. They both neglected to notice the damp line running down Blakes face. She wiped it with the back of her hand and closed her book, thinking it best to concentrate on somebody who mattered. Rubys face was visibly twisted in a grim expression, she was in severe pain. Her words came out mumbled, her consciousness not fully active.

"Leg...hurts..." She weakly pointed to her knee, just able to raise her arm. Yang pulled the covers back forcefully gently pressing her sisters thigh. Ruby shook her head faintly as Yang moved further down, her face full of concern. Weiss sat on the edge of the bed, cradling Rubys head on her chest and holding her hand as Yang worked her way towards the knee. The groans of agony rang through the room, bouncing off the walls. They reminded Blake of something she did not want to remember. She watched her partners face harden in worry as Yang squeezed Rubys knee. Ruby gave a small nod, and Blake could see that it didn't look natural.

* * *

Blake and Weiss both left to the bathroom at Yangs request, understanding that she'd want privacy as she changed Ruby into less obstructing clothes. Unease filled Weiss's eyes and voice as she spoke, barely loud enough for Blake to hear.

"It's broken, isn't it?" She was trembling. Blake nodded, wearing a solemn face.

"It looks that way." She didn't need to say anything else, the growing fear in Weiss's voice chilled her to the bone.

"Will she be alright?"

"I don't know."

Neither spoke again, the only action between them being Blake putting a reassuring hand on Weiss's shoulder. They both turned their heads at a call from outside, Yang had finished. Blake allowed Weiss to go first, leaving the door ajar as they made their way back to the bed. Ruby was now in her sleepwear, one of her pant legs rolled up to her mid-thigh. The sight of her knee brought an uneasy feeling into Weiss's stomach, there was a swollen bulge where the bone had slipped out of place, the skin discoloured in shades of purple and blue. Yang moved her fingers extremely tenderly, touching the area around the knee to determine where the pain stopped. Ruby gave feeble moans, barely able to move her head. Her teeth were gritted and her eyes closed, reminding Blake of how fragile humans were.

Yang nodded her head once and covered the injury, standing to her feet and sliding her arms underneath Rubys neck and legs. She lifted her sister into her arms and eased her into position, speaking with a voice that awed them both.

"Get the blankets, I'm taking her to the infirmary." Weiss nodded, gathering as many as she could under her arm. Blake took one look into Yangs eyes and knew what her partner was about to ask. She dipped her head in acknowledgement, opening the door for Yang and giving her a clear path out. Weiss followed close behind, leaving Blake to collect the first aid supplies they kept in the dorm for immediate use. She grabbed them in one hand, running a quick check before heading out, closing the door as she left. The care that Yang displayed for Ruby was unlike any Blake had ever seen before, it ran deeper than just being siblings. Yang treated Ruby as the most important thing in her life, even moreso than her own, and Blake took comfort in that fact.


	19. Chapter 19

For the second time in one day Yang sat with her arms resting on the edge of a bed, someone close lying unconscious in front of her. The only difference this time was that it was Ruby instead of Blake, and that she wore her pyjamas over bandaged and bloodied arms, oblivious to the pain they gave her. Ruby had passed out at some point during the move, and Yang refused to move from her side. The early morning medical staff had scanned Rubys injured knee and left to decide the best course of action, having dressed the joint in a stiff bandage to hold it in place. Blake sat opposite Yang, watching her stare anxiously at her sister.

Yangs mouth was dry, she could feel it. Her eyes were brimming with barely restrained tears, knots twisting her stomach with a terrible feeling. Blake was right, Ruby had broken her leg. Or rather, it was broken for her. Yang clenched her fists subconsciously, rewatching the scene in her minds eye. It came out of nowhere, slamming her leader with an immense force. It's a wonder that only the leg was damaged. She wanted to blame herself, but no matter how hard she tried to convince herself it was her fault, she couldn't bring herself to do it. There was nothing she could have done, no way she could have prevented it. Her heart pounded against her chest, booming across the silence with every beat. All she cared about was her sisters safety, and it looked like she had failed in protecting her.

She glanced up at the voice over the bed, speaking softly to her.

"She's going to be fine. You would know if she wasn't."

Yang gave a sharp sigh, gathering herself for a second.

"It's as though someone is twisting my insides, how can I feel worse than that?"

"Trust me. I know what you're going through. It gets better." Blakes eyebrows raised slightly, giving her a sympathetic face. She retained her serious demeanour, but there was nothing except empathy in her eyes, warming the pits of Yangs stomach. Something about the way she spoke said more about her than words ever could, it lended her an even greater sense of depth. Yang wanted to know more about her partner, but she doubted Blake would give it up easily. She swallowed hard, returning to her worries.

"How?" She asked, a crack in her voice. It pained Blake to see Yang like this, she wanted nothing more than to hold her close until her sadness fell away, but she knew the golden-haired girl wouldn't rest until she was sure her sister was as safe as she could be. Blake did her best to be kind, though she was never good with people. Her eyes locked with Yangs once more, pouring comfort into her partner. She gave a slight smile as she spoke.

"When she gives you the best feeling you've ever experienced, you'll know what I mean." Blake nodded at Ruby, drawing Yangs eyes back to her sister. She looked peaceful, her calm face belying the agony she was in. Yangs expression softened as she stroked the edge of Rubys cheek, holding back the urge to hug her tightly. Blake felt her heart tingle at the sight, she had never had the chance to be close to someone in the way the two sisters were. Their relationship gave her an insight into happiness, something she dearly missed in her life. She felt a tapping on her shoulder, Weiss bent slightly to whisper in Blakes ear.

"I think we should leave them alone. As much as we care, Yang will want some time with Ruby by herself. And I'd like to talk to you about something." Blake gave a quiet acknowledgement, rising from her chair and walking with Weiss to the other side of the room. She stood with her back to everything, with Weiss beside her, speaking in a hushed whisper.

"I think I know how we can find out more about the Umbra..."

* * *

Weiss seated herself on the front row in class, holding her hands in her lap while she waited patiently, listening to the other students as trickled in behind her. Arriving early was a smart thing to do, there was plenty of time to set herself up in the optimal place. Her chosen target came striding through the door, head held high. They had no idea of the results their actions would make, but Weiss was secretly going to enjoy watching him squirm. He fell onto the bench, resting his feet on the desk lazily. Weiss slipped her scroll under her desk, brushing her fingers over the surface. She folded it up, placing it neatly in her jacket pocket for safety.

Blake cast her eyes over the screen once. '_In position. 7 minutes. Ready when you are._' The message faded with the image of Weiss's head, giving Blake the queue to move. Phase one was completed, and now came the part she quietly enjoyed. She too had her quarry in her sights, but she had to stalk him until he was alone. His schedule had been read in advance, and Blake positioned herself to follow without being seen. She could play the waiting game and win, that was fine with her.

The slew of students thinned as they arrived at their classes, gradually leaving the two people alone. Blake waited until he rounded a corner, whispering to get his attention. She had placed herself according to the most likely reaction, lurking flat to the wall. Sure enough, the footsteps reversed and he leant around the corner, brief confusion playing across his face. He shook his head, disregarding it as nothing. As he turned, he felt something sharp pressing against the back of his neck. Blake silenced his first whimper simply by pushing the point of her pistol further into his skin. She spoke in a disguised whisper to avoid giving her identity away, something she had perfected over the years.

"I know you lied. I know you ran. I know you fled like the coward you are. I won't judge you, don't worry about that. Do you know who I am?" He shook with fear, his voice trembling.

"N-no...w-who are you? W-what do you want f-from me?" Blake mockingly raised a finger to her lips, even though he had his back to her.

"Shhhh...all you need to do is tell me what you know about the beast in the forest. You know what I'm talking about, don't try to lie to me." She knew her words were convincing, he wasn't the smartest of people.

"Uh...m-maybe you should talk to C-ardi-ah!" He was cut short with a whimper as Blake pressured the blade further into his neck.

"I think you should talk to Cardin, don't you?" She asked, dripping a hint of temptation into her voice. She smirked as his entire body shuddered, breathing fast and loud.

"Now then. Call him...and don't try anything. You be a good student and tell your leader that Professor Ozpin wants to see him." The boy obeyed, shakily pulling out his scroll and fumbling to push the right buttons.

Weiss caught the beeping behind her, listening intently over the general noise of the classroom.

"Ey Russel, what's up?" Cardin Winchesters voice changed in an instant, anxiety and panic flooding him in waves. "What? Why do you ask? What do you mean 'Ozpin wants a report'? I told him everything I know!" He caught himself and lowered his voice, much to Weiss's amusement.

"He wants it where? Why does he-agh, fine! You keep your mouth shut about this!" Weiss felt the scroll vibrate in her pocket, she had muted the notification sound and opted for a physical alert instead. It slid open under the desk. '_Lecture Hall. 9:30PM. Tonight._' The whole thing went better than Weiss expected, she knew that Blake would have been successful and now they had something to work with. They were making progress.

* * *

She leant against the wall nearby, her arms folded with one foot propped against the ground. Weiss would be here any minute, so Blake admired the paling blue sky outside as she waited. A few stray clouds drifted slowly across the vast expanse of air, the last rays of sunlight catching the rooftops in a beautiful display. It was approaching the settled time, and the two agreed to wait some distance from the lecture hall to avoid raising any suspicions. She could hear footsteps approaching down the hall, light but fast. Her teammate had arrived, still in her uniform, carrying the large tome that Blake had previously read in the library. It was one of the few things they had relating to Umbra, and since Weiss had the bright idea to match up Cardin's information with the documented knowledge in the book, Blake asked her to bring it to the collection point.

Weiss stood opposite Blake, giving the impression of two girls doing small talk. Should Cardin come from this direction, and Blake highly doubted he would, he wouldn't suspect they were the ones who threatened Russel into lying about Ozpins request. As far as he was concerned, they were just threats to his macho bluff. He was a physically large person, and they both knew they'd hear him coming no matter how quiet he tried to be. Weiss glanced at her scroll.

"9:30 exactly, he'll be here any second." She gave a small sigh, shuffling her feet slightly. She seemed a little nervous, her moral code clashing with her burning curiosity. Blake could see how hard she was trying to keep herself under control, and found herself wondering how messing with the heiress would be like. There would be anger of course, but underneath that, past the icy facade and proper manners, was there a rebellious teenager striving to escape? Surely she'd be desperate to try new things, things she was told so many times that were unacceptable or unladylike? It teased at Blakes mind, a grateful change from the distressing memories she usually had.

Weiss snapped her out of her thoughts with a brief wave, indicating towards the heavy taps moving along the corridor hidden from their sight. No doubt, it was him. They heard the door click open and the wood creaking slightly. He was breathing hard, Blake could hear that through the wall. '_Probably ran all the way here, gullible fool._' The entire scene lasted no more than a minute, and as his footsteps faded into the distance they moved silently into the hall, making their way down to the central desk where a pile of papers was thrown onto the surface in a hurry. Blake gathered them up in both hands.

"And now we go to the rooftop." Weiss's posture tensed ever so slightly.

"Do we have to go all the way up there?" She asked, asking herself what was wrong with the library.

"Yes." Blake replied. "Nobody can overhear anything, and it gives us a clear view of the forest." She spoke matter-of-factly, somewhat tickling the challenging side of Weiss's brain. Weiss pushed the fire back down and nodded, Blakes logic did make sense. They set off for the stairs in a hurry, hoping to make it out of sight before anyone else could catch wind of them. The book had been 'borrowed' from the library, and they were now in the possession of documents of questionable origin. Weiss daren't think of the consequences if Ozpin found out what they had done already, let alone what they were doing. She dreaded what they would have to do next even before they had got that far.


	20. Chapter 20

Blake pushed the door open calmly, greeting the cool night air with a smile. It didn't feel like a day since she had last been here, as the surface had completely dried between then and now, a change from the drenched roof of yesterday. She seated herself cross-legged near the edge with her back to the beacon, using it to illuminate the tome she placed on her lap. She had a clear view of the Emerald forest, its brilliant green canopy stretching as far as she could see. Had the moon not hid behind the banks of cloud she would have been able to pinpoint the exact location their previous encounter had happened, just beyond her view rose the cliff-face, its bluff rising above the foliage in a grim display of grey.  
Weiss crouched beside her, valuing her clothes far above comfort as she refused to dirty them on the stone. She watched as Blake flipped through the pages, searching for the specific section describing Umbra amongst the massive variety contained inside. Her finger stopped abruptly, resting on the weathered paper that depicted an immense shadowy beast. Weiss squinted as her vision adjusted to the green glow from behind, she could make out the massive head filled with teeth and the entire upper jaw covered in the bony mask that characterised all Grimm. Two small, muscular arms hung off its chest, following the massive legs that supported the immense body as it stood. A long tail, over twice the length of the creatures body flowed from its stomach, merging seamlessly into its back while its neck was thick, no doubt to emphasise the huge pressure it used as it bit into its prey.

Previously, Weiss had thought the Nevermore to be their biggest threat. Nothing short of an entire team coordinating their attacks would bring it down, and even then it was only due to Rubys somewhat suicidal decapitation plan working that they killed it at all. Something like that was plucked from the air and destroyed in a heartbeat, and that gave her the unmistakable feeling of dread in her stomach. Even despite Blakes explanation of its seemingly easy take-down, she was still highly unnerved by the ease it had killed the avian Grimm. Not to mention that it had pursued them miles through the forest, smashing trees aside even after herself, Ruby and Yang had fought it. Worse still, it faced off against a Deathstalker after all that, but Weiss knew that the outcome of that battle was beyond her knowledge. Her top priority had been her partner, the territorial dispute between the two titans was simply the distraction she was looking for.

"Can you show me where it stopped chasing you?" Blake asked, pulling Weiss from her thoughts. The heiress looked over the area in front of her and pointed, forming a mental diagram for Blake to follow.

"It was directly in front of the cliffside path, the clearing just before you start climbing." Came the reply, Weiss gesturing down towards the gap amongst the trees below, just visible over the edge of the rocks. She continued pointing to various places as she spoke, making an invisible map in the air.

"The Deathstalker came from there, hitting Ruby while she was there, and we came from here. Yang was carrying you in her arms as she circled in the bushes to the left; our right, while I stopped here as Ruby was hit." She finished her diagram, holding her finger at the spot she had halted in shock. Blake was impressed by her memory, but she quickly turned her focus back to the description.

"What happened after you stopped?" She inquired, glancing at Weiss's face. The green hue illuminated her skin just enough for Blake to make out the permanent scar she bore over her eye, something that Blake had always wondered about. She knew better than to even attempt to ask, but the answer tugged at her mind. Weiss continued unaware, absorbed in relaying accurate information to her teammate.

"It came behind me and stood there, shifting its attention to the Deathstalker - which had come out of hiding at this point, as Ruby landed over here. I ran as fast as I could to her side while they sized each-other up. Yang came right behind me as we hung at the edge of the plants here. Then when they started fighting we took out chance and moved as fast as we dared up the path. You were out cold and Ruby was barely hanging on... and the rest you know." She finished, a trace of sadness working its way into her voice. Blake inclined her head in respect, scanning the view before her.

"I take it this is where it came from?" She inquired, pointing at the noticeable trail of destruction that zigzagged across the trees, tearing across the canopy like a scar on the landscape. Something big had been through there, powerful enough to knock aside fully grown trees with trunks over a meter thick. It matched the depiction that Ruby had drawn, just not the Umbra that rested on the page in front of her. She turned over the possibilities in her head, debating what to ask her teammate next.

"Did you see anything that could hint to where it came from?"

"How do you mean?" Weiss asked, not fully understanding what Blake meant.

"The Deathstalker had moss growing on its armour, indicating it had been dormant for a long amount of time. Was there anything like that on the Umbra? A bleached mask from constant sun or old wounds from previous battles?" She watched with interest while Weiss ran through her memories, striving to find what Blake was looking for. The majority of her recollections were the brief flashes of lightning, but there were only the images of the vicious teeth slamming down inches from Rubys body or the tail swiping through wood in rage. She was about to shake her head, reminded as her mind kicked itself into gear.

"Yes. There was a distinct trio of blood red markings across its back. Like claws, but perfectly aligned, the same patterning all Grimm have." Blake tilted her head to the side, looking into Weiss's eyes with slight scepticism.

"Back? This one has a sail." She pointed out, causing Weiss to lean in closer to the image that Blake had pulled up on her scroll.

"It may have been on the sail, I'm not sure...definitely a scar of some sort. It didn't look natural like the rest of them, which is why it stood out to me." Her brow raised slightly at her own uncertainty, something that didn't escape Blakes attention. She sighed silently to herself, accepting the knowledge.

"The forest doesn't seem like ideal habitat, too much competition for it to be here by choice. Usually, Umbra are naturally the top predators but here it seems that that position is challenged by at least one species, maybe more. There's no telling how other Nevermores would react to it if they haven't already, the same goes for Taijitus. The forest is far more dangerous and challenging than where they usually live. I'm thinking this one was forced here somehow, either by something else or on purpose." Blake stared into the night, unaware of Weiss's growing concern flaring up again. The words chilled her to the core, but she daren't show it.

"What could possibly force something as dangerous as that?" She asked, eyes wider than usual. The response that she received only opened them further.

"Something more dangerous." Blake said flatly, her expression blank. The thought uneased Weiss even further but it didn't seem to affect Blake in the slightest. It was as though it was nothing new to her, like she had done it before. All of these little things pointed to the theory that Weiss was trying so hard to disregard. 'What do I really know about her? What if she's nothing like anything I ever considered?' She once again let her eyes once fall on the mysterious shrouded girl, gazing out over the forest. She looked so lonely, so isolated. Weiss didn't care for her social preferences of course, but even she in her cold sarcasm and icy front almost felt sorry for Blake.

"Can I ask you something? Something personal?" Weiss asked after a moment of hesitation. She spoke gingerly, unsure about how guarded Blake would be about her personal feelings. Amber eyes met blue in the night air, lending a subtle feeling of tranquillity to the scene. They both kept their gazes steady, with Blake breaking the silence in a distinctly cold manner.

"That depends on what you ask." She answered, already disliking the way this conversation was heading. She would much rather concentrate on the memories locked away that taunted her with their knowledge, but she couldn't straight up drop her teammate like a stranger. She owed it to Weiss to at least be polite in her declinations, as much as she didn't care for it. Weiss's body loosened somewhat, but the apprehension was still visible in her body language. She wasn't entirely confident to continue, yet she was well aware of the rare opportunity she had at learning more about her teammate.

"Did something happen before you came here? Is that why you-"

"No."

The severity of Blakes voice halted Weiss dead in her tracks. The usually calm, observant eyes now brimmed with anger, forcefully burning away any intentions Weiss had left. She remained crouched as Blake closed the book hard, wearing a face that screamed of pain. It was not physical injuries that twisted her heart, or mental wounds that fuelled her words. This ran far deeper than that, to her very soul.

"We're done talking." She struggled to keep the rage inside, threatening to rise above her self-control. Blinded by fury that Weiss had unintentionally triggered, Blake swung open the door, leaving it to crash on its hinges and slam shut behind her. Weiss stood speechless, startled at the hostility she had received. Her mind raced with thoughts, running to wild conclusions and doubling back on themselves in a complete state of disarray. She couldn't quite believe nor accept the denial, not after Blakes harsh reaction. Something was not right, she could feel it, knowing that it would linger in her mind, reminding her of how she couldn't do anything about it. She despised herself on occasion, wishing she knew where the lines were. 'A detached life will do that to you...' She reflected for a second, casting the thoughts aside before they could take hold. Silently walking towards the door, she didn't look forward to the next meeting they would have.

Blake cleared the stairs three at a time, shifting her hand along the railing as she descended. She tried to ignore the pent up frustrations inside as best she could but they refused to leave her alone, fading from anger to regret as she ran. Her feelings rammed against her heart as she shoved the library door open, casting the book onto the nearest table in total disregard. She threw herself onto the wooden surface, caving in to the sorrow that darkened her life. She buried her head in her arms, temper subsided into misery as her whole body heaved with tears, running down her skin onto the table below. 'Why did everything have to be so difficult? Why can't I be normal like everybody else? Why do I have to carry the burden?' Despair flooded her mind, only intensifying her suffering. She could feel her lungs gasping for air through her sobs, her violent shaking accompanying the desperation that flooded her heart. She felt so pathetic, so worthless. Everyone else could control their emotions but she was too weak to even do that. She was just one insignificant person in this legendary place, she didn't deserve to be here.

The pitiful sounds carried long into the night.


	21. Chapter 21

It was now the fifth time Yang had fallen asleep, her tiredness was slowly getting the better of her. Her mouth opened in a long drawn out yawn as she stretched her arms. It was still dark outside, so she had probably not had much sleep. She blinked, rubbing her eyes with the backs of her hands in an effort to wake herself up. Glancing around the empty room, she looked a mess. Her hair was still messier than usual, clumped together from the rain. Obviously she had the white wrappings around her arms to remind her of the previous events, but the scratches covered nearly every inch of her body. At the moment however, she was far more interested in the sleeping leader lying on the bed. Yang had been told that the knee injury was not as severe as it sounded, and that the bone had only slipped out of place a little. The news did come as a relief to her, but not much - it meant that Ruby would still be in considerable pain. She had asked about recovery times and been told that the minimum would be around two weeks, depending on how Ruby felt. It wouldn't surprise Yang in the slightest to learn that Ruby would lie about her injury to return to her team faster, it seemed just like something she would do.

Yang groaned, rubbing her cheeks with her palms. It must have been some time in the morning by now, her sleep had been very broken since they returned, and she was showing it. Weiss had stopped by earlier to check up on Ruby, but there had been no sign of Blake. Normally this wouldn't be unusual in the slightest, but if her previous actions were anything to go by, Yang would've thought that she would at least visit every now and then. She had not seen her partner for close to an entire day now, and she was almost missing the quiet presence that she had become used to. A quiet sound caught her attention, someone was approaching the door at the far end of the infirmary. She squinted through the gloom to see who was coming, a tiny smile worming its way onto her face at the familiar sight.

Blake took a chair opposite Yang and sat wearily, the remains of her breakdown trailing down her face. She knew they were there, but she didn't care. She glanced at Yang briefly, gesturing to Ruby as she asked.

"How is she?"

"Well...it's not broken. The bone slipped out of place." Yang sighed. "They say it'll take at least two weeks for her to recover. So..."

"So," Blake interjected, reading the guilt on Yangs face. "It will take two weeks for her to recover. Short of forcing it back into place there's nothing you can do about it. -Oh no."

Yangs face lit up somewhat, considering the possibility.

"You're not seriously thinking about..."

"Well, why not?" Yang asked, confident that Ruby would go along with her plan.

"Because it will be extremely painful, that's why!" Blake exclaimed, a little disturbed at how willing Yang was to shoving a bone back into order.

"She's been through worse!" Yang countered, her expression hardening immediately at the realisation of her words. Blake shook her head.

"You can't just push bones around. In the weeks of recovery it will slide back naturally, that's why they've bandaged it. Are they going to strengthen the binding?" She inquired, changing the topic slightly. Yang shrugged.

"I have no idea. They never mentioned anything like that to me. But c'mon!" She grinned again, trying to take her mind of things. The smile faded into concern.

"Blake, where have you been? It has to be early in the morning by now, what are you still doing up?" In time with Yangs words, Blakes head sank.

"I've been...studying." While it wasn't completely true, it was still largely accurate. Yang cocked her head.

"Studying at this time?" She asked, leaning forwards. Blake sat up, straightening her back. She was slightly uncomfortable with the conversation, but she knew Yang was only looking out for her.

"It's been bugging me for a while." She smiled, a little amused at the exchange. It felt normal.

"Oh yeah? What's that?" Yang leaned even further forwards, practically resting her chin on the bed.

Blake took a second to think about her next words. She could either tell Yang everything she felt and lay it all down on her already occupied partner. Or she could lie to her face and carry her guilt for longer. She found it hard to decide until she took the time to look at her teammate. Yangs face was reminiscent of an eight-year old child being told stories of heroes and dragons. It was too cute to pass up on, she smiled.

"Alright. I've been having difficulty remembering a certain thing, and it's been clawing at my attention for days." Yangs eyes brightened with curiosity.

"Go on!" She pushed, more interested every minute.

"And I can't seem to recall what it is."

"What is it?" Yang asked, acting before she processed Blakes words. "Oh. Well, is it study related? Orrrr..." Yang raised her posture as she spoke, rolling her eyes to the side with the last word.

"It's personal. It might go back a long way, I don't know." Blake replied, hesitating a little. She didn't want to risk worrying Yang any more than she was already, nor was she sure that she'd be able to control herself after her previous discharge. She had barely kept it inside while Weiss was around, what would she do with Yang and Ruby? The silence told her that Yang was waiting for a continuation.

"I think that something happened that was so terrible, I've blocked myself from seeing it." The brow on Yangs face furrowed as she thought.

"Oh! You mean like a bad memory?" Blake nodded, resting her hands on her legs.

"I'm convinced that it has something to do with-" She caught herself, swiftly changing her sentence. "-with the Fall Forest." Yangs eyebrow raised.

"Fall Forest?" She repeated, folding her arms loosely. "Why'sat?"

"I'm not sure exactly, but it reminds me of my childhood."

Yangs eyebrows raised again. Blake never mentioned her childhood before, and come to think of it, she never mentioned anything about her past before. Yang couldn't hide the interest in her face, clearly wanting to know more.

"Your childhood?" Yang repeated once more. "The Fall Forest? Did you spend your time there?"

"Not in the Fall Forest, no. Somewhere like it. The leaves were red, just as they are here. I used to sit amongst the trees for hours on end, appreciating nature."

Yang smiled at Blakes own, glad that her partner was finally opening up a little.

"It sounds beautiful." She said truthfully.

"It was." Blake confirmed, gazing down through the floor, reminiscing the better times. "There were no distractions, no worries. I could lose myself in there. It was peaceful."

Yang could've swore she heard a tinge of remorse in Blakes voice, but she dismissed the thought as her partner continued.

"Of course, as the years wore on I became less isolated from the real world." She glanced up at Ruby. "I used to think it was a fairytale, just like her." The smile subsided. "And then my life was no longer perfect." Yang bit her lip, holding herself back.

"Things changed. I couldn't stay there, not after I discovered how broken the world was."

Her words lingered, a melancholic mist blanketing the room.

"So..." Yang began in an attempt to break the silence that hung in the air after Blake spoke.

"So I left. I made some bad decisions. I did things I thought were right." Her voice was lower at this point, hanging her head to obscure her eyes. Yang wanted to interrupt, but she couldn't risk throwing this opportunity away. She leant forward once again, somewhat worried at the dark turn Blakes words were taking.

"It turned out they weren't." She lifted her head to look at Yang. It didn't matter how much she said anymore, she had given up trying to control how much her team knew. It pained her to remember, but at the same time she could feel a weight lifting off her shoulders. A tear welled in her eye, drawing Yangs attention to it as she tried to hold back a gasp.

"The real world is _not_ the same as a fairytale. I made the mistake of trusting someone blindly because I thought they believed in the same things I did. They lied, but I was the fool." Another tear rolled down her cheek, wasting away before it reached her chin.

"I've done terrible things. I paid the price."

"Blake-" Yang started, unable to sit idly by while her partner was in this state. She was cut short.

"I was left with nothing. Everything I had was taken away, and there was nothing I could do about it." They rolled freely now, staining her face and dripping onto the cold floor below. It rended Yangs heart to see the impassive eyes overflow with so much emotion. She was used to seeing people cry, Ruby used to do it all the time, but this was different. She could see scars rising to the surface after being buried for so long, showing Blake in a new light that Yang never would have believed.

Here she was, pouring her heart out beside the unconscious body of Yangs sister. This was exactly what Blake didn't want, and yet it was happening despite everything.

"I left with them. They were the closest thing I had to family, and they stabbed me in the back when I tried to change their views."

"Who?" Yang asked, desperate to console her friend in any way possible.

"It doesn't matter."

"Yes, it does." Blake didn't respond. "Blake, whatever happened to you has passed. There isn't anything you can do to change that. We all made mistakes, but they are a part of what makes us us!" Her voice was rising without her knowledge, lilac eyes burning brighter. "Nobody is going to judge you because of what you did,-"

"You think I'm worried about being judged? I am judged every day whether I like it or not, and there has never been anything I could do about it. I'm used to being judged!" Blake was about to continue, but the fire in Yangs eyes gave her reason to pause. The golden hair fell onto Yangs arms as she rose from her chair, propping herself on the bed, her posture challenging. Her tone was serious, infused with feeling.

"This isn't about you being judged. This is about you being unable to move on with your life!" She leaned in closer, her eyes piercing into Blakes own. It took the words from Blakes mouth, leaving her speechless.

"I know what it's like to feel alone, like you have nobody to turn to. But you always have somebody to turn to. And right here, right now." The fire intensified, her voice strong.

"I'm telling you that you have someone to turn to. You have me. I'm going to be here for you whenever you need me, and you better accept that."

Her words destroyed every defense Blake had, forcing their way straight to her heart. All the frustrations she had locked away were pushed aside, stealing any words she tried to speak. Those few words meant more to her than anything anyone had ever said. They gave her comfort in the agonising torture she was put through every day. The tears that flowed were not of pain anymore, instead rolling as happiness. Reassurance. All her life Blake had been alone, and now it seemed she finally had someone by her side. Her lips turned into a smile, catching Yang off-guard. She couldn't believe what she heard, after all this. The Blake that stared into her eyes was not a calm, calculating huntress in training. This Blake was a terrified girl, her entire life filled with pain and death. She was scarred and beaten, but her eyes now held something besides suffering. They held hope.

Blake didn't move as Yang embraced her, feeling the gentle touch sooth her tears. She felt the arms wrap around her chest, pulling her towards the warmth of a friend. Yang held Blake close, holding her own tears back as Blake slowly slid her arms around Yangs back. They rocked back and forth, immersed in eachothers hold, too absorbed to care about anything else. Yang had seen the Blake underneath the mask, a tortured soul in need of help. She had confessed her past, filled with terrible things. But Yang didn't care. She didn't care that Blake had regretted her actions. She wouldn't have cared if Blake had murdered people. All the cared about was the Blake here, now, in her arms.

This was what Blake had wanted all along, someone to be close to, someone to have by her side. Someone she could turn to when she felt she wasn't strong enough, someone to be with her when she needed them most. She wanted a friend, and now she had one. Her grip on Yang tightened, burying her face into her partners chest as she let all the sadness escape from her heart. She shivered uncontrollably, shaking as she emptied her sadness into her partner. She must have looked so weak, so pathetic. The thoughts were brushed aside effortlessly as Yang brought her closer, her emotions rolling over oneanother while they locked in place. Regret for not realising sooner, guilt at not being there when Blake needed her, fury at those who ruined her life. But most of all, overwhelming happiness. She was with her partner, not just in person but now in spirit. It felt _right_.

For that moment, all was right with the world. Blake felt her heart rise, while Yang refused to let go. They remained locked together, emptying their emotions into eachother. Blake grasped Yang like a frightened child, terrified that she would leave Blake alone again. Yang held Blake as though she were an abandoned kitten, cradling her close with arms filled with compassion. Neither wanted to let go, captivated by the other and their hearts. Yang was determined to learn more about Blakes past, if only to better understand just what she had been through. Blake momentarily lapsed, remembering the way she was held before he left. She was too young to understand what he meant, but now she knew all too well. But she didn't care, feeling the tears gradually slow to a halt, ignoring her protesting muscles that ached.

Slowly, their grip loosened gradually, with Yang finally pulling away to hold Blake at arms length by the shoulders. She gazed into the brilliant amber orbs, entranced by their beauty. Blake returned the gaze, her face stained with sorrow. She winced as Yang brushed her thumb across Blakes cheek, wiping the remainder of a tear away. Her voice was barely a whisper.

"I'm going to be by your side whenever you need me." She smiled, filling Blake with a sense of relief. Blake nodded, still touched by the intimacy they had just shared. No longer was the heavy cloud tormenting her with memories. She felt free, even though she knew she was far from it. For now, she was content to be with her partner, and nothing could change that. Yang quietly seated herself back down, internally beaming. She toughened slightly as her gaze returned to Ruby, but the immense happiness remained in her heart. She was feeling much more optimistic, Blake had opened her eyes somewhat. She watched as the other girl wiped her eyes, her face flushed a beautiful rose red. Yang gave her another smile, finding herself admiring how cute she looked when embarrassed. They both settled for the remainder of the night, a new sense of empathy flowing around them. They both failed to notice the ghostly white figure standing behind the doorway, silently vanishing out of sight.


	22. Chapter 22

"Are you sure you're feeling up to this?"

Ruby nodded, determined to ignore the pain.

"Then let's begin, in your own time. What happened?"

"Well, we set off right after we met you, and it took us at least an hour to get across the middle of the-"

She was interrupted by a loud bang at one end of the infirmary, followed by heavy pounding footsteps. She craned her neck to see Yang barreling down the room, with Weiss hastily following her. A second or so later, Blake emerged from the corridor in a less rushed manner. She wasn't about to miss this for the world.

"Ruby are you oka-yyy?" Yang screeched to a halt a few feet away from the bed, nearly hitting Weiss in the face as she flailed her arms in an attempt to keep her balance.

"Will you slow down-hey! Watch it!" Weiss hissed, immediately regaining her composure upon seeing the visitor.

"Good afternoon ladies, just in time. I was about to ask Miss Rose here about the events of several nights ago, would you care to join?" Professor Ozpin gestured with his eyes, still holding his trademark mug in one hand. He took a sip as the three girls moved around Ruby, with Yang choosing to stand while Weiss and Blake sat on either side. None of them spoke as they waited for Ruby to begin, with Blake catching a tiny grin on their leaders face.

"We left straight after you gave us the briefing, and it took around an hour for us to get across the middle of the forest, the rain made the ground really boggy but we avoided it as much as we could. As we moved further east the trees became thicker in general and it looked and felt more and more like a jungle. We heard a Nevermore up ahead, but it was very faint."

"Over the wind and the rain." Yang chipped in, resting her arm on the headboard. Ruby nodded, watching Ozpins face as she spoke. It didn't change at all.

"So we moved quietly until we were within sight of it."

"Barely through the dark, it was only the lightning that gave us a clear look at it." Again, Yang finished her sisters sentence for her.

"It was circling restlessly, like it had something important to protect." Weiss pointed out, silently suspicious of what Ozpin would hear and what he would deduce from it.

He simply took another sip from his cup, his eyes glued to the girl on the bed. Ruby continued, grateful her teammates were here to help her remember. She wasn't sure if she'd be able to get all the details by herself, and she desperately wanted to give Ozpin accurate information.

"We think it might have been a nest, but we can't be sure."

His eyebrow raised.

"It started to land on a cliff edge, but as soon as it stopped flying something big and black came bursting out from the trees!" Ruby was getting a little too into it, making various excited motions with her hands. She paused at Ozpins question, holding herself mid-action.

"Do you know what it was?" He asked, his other hand firmly resting on his cane. Ruby shook her head in time with Yang, while Weiss and Blake did their best to ignore the question.

"No, it wasn't like anything I'd ever seen before. It was definitely a Grimm, I saw the mask. It was very fast and very dangerous. It snapped the Nevermores neck before it had a chance to react!" Ruby replied, amazement evident in her voice.

Ozpin gave a smirk and inclined his head for her to continue.

"It was eating the corpse, which was really sickening. But then it must have caught our scents on the wind because it just stopped and then charged right at us!" She paused to gather her thoughts, specifically about Blake. Should she tell him that Blake was nearly killed by it? That she froze to the spot? On the one hand...

"And Ruby and I distracted it while Yang and Blake moved into a better position." Weiss finished, lying to the headmasters face. She wasn't proud of herself for doing so, but she felt like she was doing the right thing. It seemed as though he believed her, but it was hard to read his face as he kept it blank.

Yang too thought it best not to tell Ozpin about Blakes breakdown, but she frowned slightly at hearing Weiss lie about it. Ruby cut her off before she could ask anything, returning her attention to the Professor.

"It was a lot more agile than it looked, and it very nearly got me." Ruby started, her voice shrinking at the end. "But Weiss knocked it off balance and after we stunned it, we ran."

"You ran?" Ozpin asked, frustratingly unaffected by the news. Blake couldn't tell if he was even listening to what they were saying, his eyes locked into Rubys own as she wildly gesticulated with her arms.

"Yup! Because that's what you told us to do! We ran all the way back across the forest, but it chased us right up to the cliff. And after that I don't remember anything..." She finished, scratching her head in confusion. Weiss took up the report with her usual professionalism, clearly pleased to be the center of attention. Even so, her voice was low as she spoke.

"Ruby was hit by a Deathstalker that ambushed her. She was put on the brink of unconsciousness as the three of us bolted for the trees. The Deathstalker saw whatever it was that chased us as a threat and they started circling one another as we climbed the cliffside path, they started fighting when we reached the top. And then we came back to Beacon, and the rest you know."

Ozpin nodded, shifting his grip on his cane ever so slightly. Blake noticed it, and documented the action just in case.

"I'm impressed that you performed as well as you did, but of course I regret that you suffered for it." He looked at Ruby and Yang in turn, the two who were baring their injuries the fullest. Weiss had resumed her nigh-perfect appearance with barely a mark on her, in stark contrast to the sisters who had been dragged through a warzone. Blake kept her gaze trained on the seasoned man, watching his body language for any signs of prior knowledge.

Ruby glanced to her side at Yangs arms, the bandaged bulging slightly under her uniform sleeves. They exchanged a warm smile, but there was undeniable regret for the both of them.

"Is there anything else you can tell me about this 'creature'?" Ozpin asked, taking another sip as he waited for a response. Ruby nearly jumped on the bed with shock as she remembered her drawings.

"Oh! Yes!" She reached over the edge of the bed, grabbing at the air in front of her bag that was lying on the floor. Yang picked it up gently and held it open for Ruby to reach into, watching with interest as her sister pulled out a worn-looking sketchpad out from the mess of things she kept inside. Ruby flicked through the pages in a hurry, flipping it around and holding it out to Ozpin with a smile on her face. He placed his mug on the table beside the bed and gently took the pad from her, his eyes scanning the page.

"Hm. And you're sure this is what you saw?" His eyes darted to Ruby as she nodded excitedly, happy to be helping.

"Very well. Do you mind if I take this for a few days?" The pad closed shut as he held it under his arm, retrieving the cup almost instinctively. Blake cursed to herself, she was getting nothing out of him. Ruby shook her head, once again beaming with happiness.

"Nope! I don't need it yet, I hope it helps!" Weiss looked at the headmaster as Rubys voice took a more serious tone.

"Sir?"

"Mhm?"

"Can I ask, why did you send us out there?"

Ozpin said nothing for what seemed like hours, not even blinking as he kept eye contact with Ruby. Blake could have sworn that he was waiting for something, but she couldn't be sure about anything. Yang remained unusually quiet, confident that Ruby was doing a good job. Only Weiss showed any real concern, her hands tightening in her lap subconsciously in unease. Finally, the silence broke not with Ozpin answering Rubys question, but by Yang.

"Uh...Prof?" She winced at her lack of respect, but Ozpin didn't seem to notice.

"I knew you would do as I requested." He answered simply, leaving far more questions than any of them would have liked. They all had their doubts and questions, but his answer did not help nor ease any of them.

"Run?" Weiss asked, the tiniest trace of irritation working its way into her voice. She wanted to ask so many questions that she knew she couldn't, Blake could see that much even now. But what worried her more was that if she could see it, it was more than likely that Ozpin could see it too. Indeed, he fixed his gaze on the heiress for a minute that dragged on and on, seemingly reading through her facade into the knowledge she possessed beneath.

"To investigate the area for any signs of unusual activity." He corrected, stifling her growing temper. "You did as I instructed and the information you have learned will be of great help. For that, I thank the four of you. But." He continued, cutting off Weiss before she began.

"That does not mean that you are free to speak of this as you please. You will keep this knowledge to yourselves, am I making myself clear?" The sheer authority in his voice brought all four heads bowing in respect. Ruby was the first to speak, followed by Yang and a reluctant Weiss.

"Yes sir."

"Yes."

"Yes, sir."

Only Blake didn't respond, causing the headmasters stare to fall onto her. She returned it, refusing to give any ground to him in any way possible. Even though his words cut into her with an edge, she kept quiet.

"Miss Belladonna?"

All three girls had turned to stare at Blake, questioning her actions. Yang and Ruby were wholly confused, but Weiss knew better. Weiss knew that Blake did not trust him at all, and despite everything she found herself slowly agreeing with her mysterious teammate. All the evidence pointed towards them not being told the whole story, there was nothing to suggest that Professor Ozpin was being honest about anything. It bit at her mind but she knew that she couldn't challenge him on it as that would cause far more harm than good, and she didn't want that. She may be at odds with every other member of her team, but she would never want any harm to befall them.

Blake kept her gaze blank, matching him silent word for silent word. It took everything in her power not to speak, but she almost gasped when he finally gave in, bidding them a farewell and walking briskly out of the infirmary.

Blake mentally prepared herself, she knew that as soon as Yang was sure he was out of earshot, she would practically explode. And as the echoing footsteps died away, she flinched at the inevitable chastisement.

"What the hell was that? D'you just have memory lapses or something?"

Ruby quietly interrupted her sister, calming Yang down instantaneously.

"Yang...c'mon. Let's not do this now." Yang visibly relaxed, stroking Rubys forehead with a gentle touch.

"I'm sorry Ruby, you know how I get. It's just...I'm worried." She turned to look at Blake sitting in the chair in front of her, somewhat distant. Weiss changed the subject unsubtly, essentially shoving Yang and Blake away as she checked on Rubys knee.

The two stood at the opposite side of the room, with Yangs back the rest of her team. Blake had her arms folded defiantly in preparation for the fierce verbal assault that would come. She watched with boredom as Yang mouthed things to herself, trying to work out where to start. She was looking everywhere but Blake, something that didn't go unnoticed.

"Yang."

She held up a finger to shush her teammate. Blake sighed, already tiring of the charade.

"Yang."

"Sh." Yang took another few seconds before she opened unusually calmly.

"Why didn't you reply to Ozpin?" Blake bit her lip, reminding herself that it was Weiss who knew about Ozpin, and Yang that knew about her past. She kept her tone firm, holding her ground.

"Because I didn't want to." She would have raised an eyebrow at Yangs expression of disbelief as she stood slightly dumbstruck, her jaw hanging loose. But she kept her cool, retaining her blank face.

"It's polite!" Was all Yang could manage, much to Blakes enjoyment. She reveled in seeing people try to regain control of the conversation when it had been tore from their grasp, usually by an unpredictable remark. She tilted her head slightly to the side as she shrugged, reading the perplexity in Yangs face.

"So?"

"...Weren't you told to be polite to people?"

"Yes, but that doesn't mean I have to do it." Blake resisted looking into the purple eyes in front of her for too long, instead concentrating on the other features of Yangs face. The sculpted cheekbones that ran seamlessly into her neck. The enticing lips that silently begged for attention. No matter where Blake looked, there was always something to admire.

The muscular arms supporting slender yet powerful fingers. The neck giving way to her chest, so alluring to the eye. Even now, in the uniform, Blake could see the curves of Yangs stomach as they flowed into her hips. She was incredibly attractive regardless of anything else, but the fact she had such an intriguing personality just added to the captivation. Blake had toyed with the idea before, but now she was more tempted than ever. There was something about Yang that she couldn't quite shift...something she found irresistible.

"Blake? Are you there? Spacing out again?" Yang asked impatiently, waving her arm in front of her partners face. She placed her hands on her hips and tilted her body to the side as Blake blinked twice, coming back into reality.

"I'm trying to lecture you here, the least you could do is listen to me. As I was saying-"

"I'm not interested in your lectures." Blake stated flatly, once again throwing Yang into speechlessness. She rolled her eyes, confident that the exchange would be finished very soon.

"But. I. You. Wha-..." Yang hung her head in defeat, giving up for the time being. She left Blake open to walking away, but nobody moved past her, there were no smug remarks. She glanced up, locking eyes with Blake for the second time in one day. They remained like that, staring eachother in the face. Blake had not moved since they began talking, her arms were still tightly folded across her chest but her expression was no longer that of defiance or boredom, it was of intrigue. Yang blinked, unsure of what to do. This too was the second time they had acted like this, but she couldn't very well embrace her partner with the other two members of her team behind her.

It was Blake who broke first, silently bypassing Yang and bidding Ruby and Weiss goodbye. Yang watched her leave, feeling her breathing stop when Blake halted at the doorway and glanced over her shoulder, leaving Yang to question herself alone. She shook her head, thoroughly confused.

Weiss called her over, and as she sat back down to talk with the two, she felt a strange sense of peace. Things were looking up. 


	23. Chapter 23

It had only taken him a few minutes of brisk walking to make it back to his office, placing the sketchpad on the table in front of him as he reclined into his chair. He placed his half-empty cup gently down on the surface and slid his fingers through the pages, casting them aside in one clean motion to bring the interesting item into his view. Three drawings. One of a head, one of a tail, one of a body. It certainly matched the previous ones he had seen with his own eyes, but like all the others there were small differences which set each and every one apart.

He leaned back into the chair, briefly closing his eyes to gather his thoughts. Things were not as he hoped, and with the impending arrival of his new acquaintance looming closer and closer he was hard pressed to keep everything under control. This was by no means a problem for him, as he had countless years of experience with deadlines and difficult situations. He was used to being pressured, but even so, he could not predict the string of events that would transpire when _he_ arrived.

Ozpin idly reached behind his chair, retrieving a black folder full of files and dropping it on top of Rubys pad in silence. He had the foresight to hide the legitimate material in plain sight, where nobody would find it. The sheets of paper were removed one by one as the headmaster glanced over every single one, moving with a fluidity that belied his appearance. He had done this many times before.

He paused, sliding the pad out from underneath the folder and holding it up beside a single page, furrowing his brow somewhat. They matched perfectly, and that meant only one thing. He dropped them both and rested his head on his fingertips, holding them in a triangle shape to support his forehead. This did not bode well.

* * *

Blake seated herself alone in the corner of the dining hall, as far away from the other students as she could get. She sat in silence, ignoring the noise and activity as best she could. Nothing fancy, just a simple salad; light but filling, perfect for her schedule for the day. She watched with faint interest at the myriad of people coming and going as she ate, observing things even when she wasn't trying to. The vast majority of them were all the same. They would queue for twenty minutes, sit at a table with their friends, talk and then leave. It seemed so boring and pointless to her, as she much preferred to be with her thoughts than any human company.

Unfortunately for her, it didn't seem like she would get that luxury today.

She watched in slight irritation at the epitome of unsubtly that sprung his way towards her with an almost stupid grin plastered to his face. She really didn't feel like rebuffing anybody at the moment, but it seemed she would have to at some point or another. Jaune practically fell onto the seat adjacent to her with a cheery salute, almost spilling his drink as he did so, threatening to stain his uniform.

"Heeey, Blake! I saw you sitting over here all alone and I thought to myself: 'Why not go say hi?'. And here I am!" His happy face faltered slightly as Blake rolled her eyes, putting his spirits down with a single sentence.

"Pyrrha is still in class, I take it?" She kept her voice as flat as possible, making her intentions perfectly clear. Jaune swallowed hard and rubbed the back of his neck, doing his best to stay positive.

"Ehehe...yeah. Uh. Can I ask you something?" Blake sighed at his sheepish question, nodding her head once while she took another bite.

"Well, uh, you see. I've been practicing really, really hard to get better and Pyrrha is helping me do that." He paused, waiting for a reaction. When Blake carried on without a second glance he frowned a little in confusion, but continued nonetheless.

"And it's been great, I really feel like we're making progress. But I'd like to ask you something, if that's alright? I know you're not exactly the uh...most...ehhh...you don't like talking to people."

"Really? What gave you that impression?" Blake deadpanned, already seeing where this was going. Jaunes face drooped a little before he caught himself and resumed his nervous smile.

"Well you know, you don't-...oh. That was rhetorical. Right. A-anyway, like I was saying, it's going really good but I feel like there are some things even Pyrrha can't teach me and I was wondering if-"

"You were wondering if I would help you? I'm not... captivated by you and your hopelessness." She kept her eyes trained on Jaunes face, conveying nothing but icy rejection. His eyes were wide, probably with shock. Blake cut him off before he could stutter out more words.

"Pyrrha, as strong as she is, is head over heels for you. Now, I don't know nor care if you've noticed that or not, and I'm not saying that's the only reason she's helping you. But she clearly sees something in you that I don't. I have never given anyone advice or training of any sort and I'm not going to make an exception for you. You want to learn? There's a library in the Academy for that specific reason. And now, I'm going-"

"Hellloooooooo! Fancy seeing you two here at the same time!" Blake closed her eyes, silently asking what she had done to deserve this punishment. She opened them with a start as an empty tray slammed down on the table between her and Jaune, catching his distinctly girly 'eep' as Nora beamed her usual smile at them both. He was the first to speak after the initial silence, addressing his teammate nervously.

"Oh h-hey Nora, Blake was alone up here and I decided to-" He was cut off for the second time in five minutes, glancing over at Blake who had her head millimeters from her food as she hung it there.

"She was all alone? Awww, that's not right! Where's Yang? You two are like girlfriends, right?" Nora interrupted herself at the loud bang to her left, her usual cheer being replaced by surprise for a split second as Blakes head hit the table.

"You alright?" She asked, leaning in to inspect Blakes covered face. Jaune caught himself sitting speechless with his jaw hanging open and quickly corrected his teammate before she implied anything else.

"They're partners, Nora. L-like you and Ren! Uh, speaking of which, where is he?" Blake silently groaned to herself, grateful that Jaune was at least trying to distract the hyperactive ball of hammer wielding lunacy from any more erroneous claims.

"He said I should go on ahead but he should be here soon..." Nora replied, craning her neck to scan the crowds for her partner.

Blake liked Ren. He was quiet. He left her alone. She wouldn't mind being alone right now.

"But I don't see him yet, so I'll stay here until he shows up!" She exclaimed happily, whirling around and skipping off towards the queue, leaving Jaune still a little dumbstruck and Blake with a headache in the making. She stood up quietly, taking the remains of her dinner with her. Jaune raised a hand to ask her to stop, but by the time he had chosen his words she was already halfway across the hall. He couldn't help but giggle to himself at the huge red mark on her forehead, his happiness only increased when another one of his teammates sat across from him, greeting his leader with a respectful nod.

"Hi Ren, do you know if Blake-"

"No."

At this point, Jaune decided to stop trying. Ren was going over his weapons with a calm precision, a quality that Jaune had always admired. Nora would probably order Rens food for him, and so he sat and waited with his leader for her to return, catching Blake exit through the doors.

* * *

Blake moved quickly, holding her head in one hand and pressing herself against the wall with the other. Slamming the table may have been a mistake, but the sincerity of Noras words had caught Blake completely off-guard. She actually truthfully believed that the two were together. They may be partners and as such spend a lot of time together, but does it appear that they would be a couple? Was it that obvious? Although...

After everything that happened in the past few days, Blake found even herself warming up ever closer to her partner. She had emptied her heart to the fiery girl over the unconscious body of her sister and shared two incredibly emotional moments with her that really touched them both, emotionally and mentally. There had to be more to it than just friendship, right? It wasn't possible to feel that close to someone who would forever just be your associate, your friend. Blake caught herself referring to her teammates as a step up from strangers. She was still getting used to being in close quarters with other people for so long, it was inevitable that she would warm up to them in time.

But she still harboured a dislike of Weiss that she suppressed for the wellbeing of everyone, and she was sure that the heiress felt the same way about her. Ruby was their leader, and while Blake respected the girls combat skills and kind-heartedness, she was the one lying in the infirmary in pain. Blake pitied her of course, but she only ever thought of the younger girl as just that. A leader. Yang was her partner of course, so it was to be expected that they would spend more time together than others and therefore form a stronger bond, but this felt like it went far beyond that.

She turned these thoughts over in her head as she walked, thankful that the blow hadn't triggered anything yet. With any luck, she would be able to return to the dorm and sleep it off before it became too much of a problem. That was the plan at least, and it seemed that it would all work as intended, as she found herself walking a familiar path that only passed a few stray students every now and then. It was overcast outside, but Blake hoped that it wouldn't rain for another few days. She had important 'errands' to run that rain would only make harder.

Happily enough, she made it to the dorm without incident and slid inside just as the first throbs of aching pain began to pulse in her temple. She sighed, taking in the sight before her for a second. She was alone in here, Yang was still with Ruby and Weiss had classes just like her so Blake had ample time to shower and fall asleep before anything interrupted her recuperation. Weiss respected peace and quiet just as much as Blake did, and unless Yang did actually force Rubys bone back into place - Blake shuddered somewhat at the thought - neither of the sisters would ruin her rest.

She sighed to herself, placing Gambol Shroud on the foot of her bed and making her way into the bathroom. She began to undress in an unrushed fashion, glad that she had escaped the lively duo that was Jaune and Nora. A small groan echoed around the confined room as she removed her skirtas the throbbing pain was starting to flare up. The sooner she showered, the better.

Several minutes later and Blake was ready to enter, gently removing her bow from her head and leaving it on the pile of her clothes on the floor. She'd clean up when she had finished. Stepping into the shower, she flinched at first, the water being scalding hot; someone else had been here before her and they liked it burning. She turned the knob to a more acceptable level and quickly found herself in the snug embrace of the soothing heat, glad that the warmth was lessening the brunt of her headache.

This along with the rain was one of the few things she found tranquility in, to feel the water running down her body was a calming joy that she found hard to match anywhere else - it released her from the stresses of everyday life. She turned to let the water run down her back, sighing in pleasure as the heat warmed her scalp. She gently ran her hands through her luxurious black hair, quietly enjoying her time alone.

As ever, she quickly found her thoughts wandering while she washed, loosening her muscles with the thick layer of bubbles that she wiped across her skin. It was relaxing enough that she didn't want to stop. She slowly wiped her arm across her midriff, exposing the faint discoloured line that ran from the tip of her thigh to the other, running just under the bottom of her stomach. She felt her legs weaken slightly, but quickly resumed her therapeutic cleaning, refusing to let that dampen her mood. She stretched, glad to be able to ease her muscles without pain. A satisfied smile spread across her face as she moved, arching her back and touching her ankles.

She eventually found herself in her own embrace, softly holding herself in both arms as the water ran across her shoulders and streamed down her back towards the floor. She swayed slightly in a world of her own, dreaming of happier times. She could have fallen asleep in there and was sure that she would rest easy once she had finished. As the soothing touch of the shower calmed her body, she calmed her mind with memories of her time at the Academy. From the initial meetings, the initiation and the formation of the teams, all the way up until today, grateful that events happened as they did. Her thoughts began to wander once more, gradually pushing her further into the realms of pleasure.

In an almost shameful sense of self-indulgence, Blake fell into her imagination, fantasizing about holding the one person who truly enthralled her in this very shower. The warmth from her body pressing against Blakes own, the tingling sensation as she brushed her arms against Blakes skin and the hot breath on Blakes neck as she stood entranced with her partner. She could feel her heart rising at the prospect of caressing a body as perfect as Yangs, at the idea of sharing an intimate moment with the person she would spend the rest of her life with. They would hold oneanother in wordless silence, captivating eachother without even trying. The gentle touch would firm as Yang held Blakes wrists against the wall, pinning her in place. Yang would lean in, leaving her lips tantalizingly close to Blakes own until the temptation would be too much. They would lock in place, with Yang forcefully pressing her own body against Blakes as they indulged themselves in oneanothers mouths, entwining their tongues in a supreme act of passion.

Blakes eyes darted open in shock. That was a little too intimate, even for her. She shook her head in disbelief and turned the shower off, grabbing a towel and wrapping it around her waist in a hurry. She stepped out of the shower and over her clothes to pause in front of the mirror, rubbing a small hole in the condensation to gasp slightly at what she saw. Her face was flushed bright red, even moreso than usual. Mind racing, she made her way over to her sleeping clothes, hurriedly drying herself off and sliding the black yukata onto her shoulders. She tied the bow at her back and secured it in place, pulling the material over her chest and tucking it beneath the folds. She was about to climb straight into her bed and hope for a rapid sleep, but her logical thinking kicked in, reminding her that her clothes were still in the bathroom.

Five minutes later and Blake was lying in her bed, her attire in a folded pile next to her uniform, with her headbow now back in its comfortable place. She was confident that everything was normal, but any positive thoughts were quickly drowned out by the violent, pulsing pain that raged inside her head and the flustered feeling that tugged at her heart and stomach. Her eyes closed tightly as she gripped the cover hard, lying on her side and willing herself to sleep. Gradually her muscles relaxed as she herself calmed down, her body taking over and easing her into a state of rest, until it finally shut off the conscious side of her brain to allow her to rest.

Where she would go from here would be an interesting conversation with herself.


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: I decided to re-write this chapter somewhat due to personal displeasures with it, hence the re-upload. Again, apologies for any inconvenience caused and enjoy!**

* * *

"Come on sis, you need to go to class!"

"Nuh-uh." Yang shook her head firmly, tweaking the bandage that wrapped Rubys knee.

"I'm not going anywhere unless I absolutely have to, and right now, I don't have to be anywhere!"

"But I'm fine!" Ruby began, raising her arms in protest. Truth be told, the pain was only slightly better than normal, but she was growing accustomed to the constant dull ache and was generally feeling more positive. She wasn't really worried about her sisters constant vigil, but she wanted to be left alone for a while so she could do things that were otherwise awkward or impossible with someone else around.

"No you're not." Came the reply. Ruby knew that Yang wouldn't fall for any bluff or lie, but she had to get rid of her somehow. She raised a finger to her chin in thought, dimly aware of the tugs and pulls down her leg. It took her a few minutes, and by the time Yang had finished her adjustments and redressed the wound Ruby had come up with a plan. She swallowed once, frowning her face ever so slightly and pouting her lips, widening her eyes as much as she could. Her voice was quiet and a little shaky, not by choice, but it would help with the illusion.

"Yang, do you ever worry about yourself?" Ruby asked with the most sincerity she could muster, earning a suspicious stare from her older sister. Yang leant back in her chair, her eyes narrowing.

"Yyyes...why?" She asked, wondering what had brought this sudden change of character around.

"Well, it's just that you always seem so selfless..." Ruby hunched her shoulders together and lowered her head, giving Yang the best worried face she could manage.

"You always put other people first and...I worry about you, that's all." She let her words hang in the air, gesturing to the bandages wrapping around her sisters arms. The older girl glanced down at them, pulling back her sleeves to show the scratches peeking out from the dressings.

"Oh, this?" Yang grinned, raising her arms so Ruby could get a better look. She spoke somewhat awkwardly, as though the thought of being so selfless was embarrassing to her.

"This is nothing, really! I just did what I thought I had to do, that's all!" Ruby let a smile onto her face but kept it small and weak, lending more to her 'worried sibling' facade.

"You say that, but that looks like it really hurts. Are you sure you're okay?"

Yang glanced around the room, disliking these sappy emotional moments.

"I'm fine, honestly! It just stings a little sometimes, nothing worse." She took a second to appreciate Rubys concern, oblivious to the reasoning behind it. Her face softened at seeing Rubys own, her sisterly care started to kick in.

"Look, you don't need to worry about me. I can take care of myself. If it gets too much, I'll come here as soon as I can, okay?" Yang gave a warm smile as Ruby nodded slowly, gently teasing her fingers through the red fringes.

"Now then, I've got some studying that I should be doing. Do you mind if I do it here? No? Didn't think so!" Ruby opened her mouth to protest, but Yang had already pulled out her books and was already reading, leaving the younger girl no further than when she had started.

Ruby watched Yang tap her pen against her chin, debating on just how to get rid of her. Feign pain? No, that would just make things worse. Distract her? It seemed like a good idea but there was really nothing she could use, the room was empty besides the two of them.

As though fate smiled down on her, they both turned to see Blake walking calmly towards them with her uniform crisp and fresh. Ruby gave a cheery wave and a smile while Yang simply nodded, seemingly engrossed in her work.

Blake bent over besides her partner, her head nearly resting on Yangs shoulder. She whispered something that Ruby couldn't hear, and as Yang quietly put her things back in her bag and slung it over her shoulder, Ruby guessed it was important. She watched with slight bewilderment as Yang gave her a light hug, wrapping her arms around Rubys shoulders and squeezing gently. Ruby felt a light kiss on her head and heard a quiet 'goodbye', half raising her hand in farewell as Yang left the room.

Blake sat down exactly where Yang had just been, holding a book in both her hands. She watched Ruby catching up with the present with her usual interest, golden eyes contrasting against her uniform. A few seconds of puzzled looks and Ruby arrived back into reality, resting her gaze on her teammate and beaming the warmest smile she could muster.

"So Blake, what are you doing here?" Ruby asked, her hands resting in her lap. Blake gave a smile of her own, glancing the bedridden girl up and down.

"I came to see how you were, of course." She replied casually, a brief tint of kindness in her words.

"Oh, well...I'm fine. I mean, it still hurts a lot, but I'm getting used to it now. I'm actually kind of glad you got Yang to leave, I needed some time to myself-" Ruby reached a hand out quickly upon seeing Blake begin to rise from her chair, her mouth only just opening to speak.

"Oh no no no, I don't want you to leave!" She exclaimed, surprise written on her face. "It's just that... Yang is quite loud sometimes, and I wanted to do things that she couldn't know about. I like your company too Blake, please stay for a while!" Rubys smile returned as Blake lowered herself back into the chair, her right eyebrow raising in curiosity.

"Things that she shouldn't know about? Like what?" Blake queried, her interest piqued. Ruby tapped her nose and tilted her head to the side, winking mischievously.

"I shouldn't tell people everything, should I? I'll be letting all three of you know when I'm sure that I have all the facts right. I really, really wouldn't want to give you guys misinformation." Blake leaned back in her chair, content to humour her leader for a little.

"Facts about what?" She asked, watching Rubys brilliant silver eyes for any telling signs. "About the thing that chased you through the forest?" While Blake regretted to be bringing this topic up yet again, she had a feeling that it was precisely what Ruby was referring to, something that was only confirmed at the silence that fell after the question. Ruby took several seconds to think, weighing up her options.

"...Maybe. Well." Ruby sighed, she knew better than to try and hide anything from Blake. The older girl would find out one way or another regardless.

"Yes." She looked up at her teammate, waiting for a response.

Blake inclined her head slightly, indicating for Ruby to continue.

"Well, it didn't look like anything I'd seen before. I'd show you my drawings but I gave those to Ozpin, since you..." Her voice faltered there, prompting Blake to offer the book to Ruby. She took it with both hands and opened the pages, flicking through them on her lap with a mixture of surprise and awe, her mouth hanging open slightly in an 'O' shape. Blake was happy to see her mood change so quickly.

"I've never seen this book before, it wasn't in the library. Where did you find this?" She asked between stunned silences, glancing up at Blake for an answer.

"You're not the only one who can draw." Blake replied simply, her amber eyes flashing in quiet self-satisfaction at Rubys reaction. The younger girls voice grew even more amazed upon learning the information, her eyes wide.

"You drew this?! These are incredible!" Blake gave another small smile and pointed to the simple dark gray pad.

"Turn to the most recent page." On command, Ruby did so. Now her eyes grew wide not with awe, but with surprise, only wholly confirming what Weiss had told her two nights ago.

"Is that what attacked us?"

Ruby nodded slowly, her gaze switching between the paper in front of her and the girl sitting beside her.

"Yes, but...how did you know? You were unconscious!" Blake hung her head, choosing her words carefully.

"I did some research. That's an Umbra."

"Umbra?" Ruby repeated, focusing on the drawings that filled the page. "What does it mean?"

"Nobody knows." Blake replied. She thought it best to lie, lest Ruby come to any wild conclusions by herself.

"What I do know is that it shouldn't be here. The Emerald Forest is far too competitive for it. That means that someone or something, has forced it here." She kept her voice level, watching Rubys face to gauge how much she could afford to say.

"Woah..." Was all the younger girl could say, no doubt recalling the battle that ensued. Blake let Ruby speak in her own time, fully understanding the magnitude of the girls injuries. Speaking of which, it didn't seem like Yang had mentioned physically assaulting Rubys knee into place, but Ruby did seem like the sort of person to go along with a scheme as reckless as that. Ruby broke the brief contemplation period with a quiet but strong voice.

"This is a lot more serious than I thought...what are we going to do?" She looked at Blake, worry evident in her eyes. Blake gave the best answer she could, reassuring herself more than Ruby that things would be fine.

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. For now, I think you should have your alone time. I'm sorry if I intruded, and please. Don't let this change your plans." She gently took the pad from Rubys grasp and gave a small wave, stopping mid-turn to answer Rubys next question.

"Where are you going?"

"Faunus History class with Yang." Before Ruby had a chance to ask the older girl anything else, she had vanished.

"You really need to stop doing that..." Ruby whispered to herself, shifting her position. After a moment of deliberation, she pulled a pencil and notepad from her bag and flipped it open vertically as she began writing a bullet-pointed list on the paper.

_Blake knows about Umbra _

_Ozpin knows about Umbra_

_ Blake has some kind of connection to Umbra_

_ Blake challenged Ozpins secrecy request_

Ruby paused, holding the end of the pencil to her chin as she processed the information, linking things together. It took her several minutes of thinking as she wracked her brain to make connections. Had anyone else been in the room they would have jumped in surprise at the sudden outburst that broke the silence.

"Blake knows more about this than she's telling me!" She cried triumphantly, scribbling the words down and forming several oval shapes on a new page. She wrote 'Blake', 'Ozpin' and 'Umbra' in three of them and drew lines from one to another, adding more bubbles and writing quick notes on each line to detail the link.

Pretty soon she had a large, albeit rather confusing looking spider-diagram involving all four members of team RWBY, Professor Ozpin, the Umbra, the Emerald Forest, the events of three days ago, Grimm, Nevermores, Deathstalkers, Battle Strategies, Combat Preferences, Strengths and Weaknesses and much more.

Ruby placed them both down on her lap and frowned, absent-mindedly holding her finger to her mouth in thought.

Some of this didn't make sense. If what Blake said is true, and that what Ruby herself had seen and documented to Professor Ozpin were accurate, then nothing short of something incredibly powerful could shift one of these things from their territory. She had seen firsthand how strong they were and counted herself lucky to have escaped at all, let alone only with a broken leg.

Even so, she regretted her teammates being injured as they were seeing as she still thought of it as her fault. No amount of reassurance from neither Weiss nor Yang had been able to change her opinion on that so far, and Ruby was sure that no matter what they said she would still believe her team to be her responsibility.

She shook her head, returning her attention to the mass of lines and bubbles on the paper in front of her. Her eyes ran across the text and links over and over, she was missing something and she was sure of it. The only problem was she didn't know exactly what she was missing; she couldn't very well go to Ozpin with her theories and only this brainstorming session as evidence, he was a very busy man and she was sure that she would only be wasting his time. Likewise, she couldn't trouble Yang with any of this, her sister had enough on her plate as it was and she didn't need anything else to contend with. Blake knew more than she was telling, of that too Ruby was certain and so she couldn't bring any of this information to her teammate.

That only left one person.

* * *

Unsurprisingly, Blake made it to the class before Yang and sat herself on the front row of desks, her notepad neatly aligned in front of her on the off-chance that she would need it. Despite the lecture beginning in a few minutes, Yang was one of the last students to arrive, falling onto the wooden bench next to Blake with a loud thud. They exchanged brief glances and smiles before the teacher sped past them in a flash of white and green, standing behind his desk with a steaming cup in one hand and the other held neatly behind his back. Thick round glasses obscured his eyes while a yellow tie hung loosely around his creased white shirt, half tucked into his dark green pants. He took one sip and greeted his class in one breath, moving swiftly on to the topic at hand without giving them a chance to respond.

Professor Oobleck pointed at the large map behind him as though his hand were a sword, zipping around the area at the bottom of the room with a comical speed. He spoke all at once, only pausing to take another drink or to wait for a students answer. Most of the information Blake already knew, but she paid attention nonetheless, watching with interest more at the other students responses than the Professors questions. The majority of them were semi-knowledgeable about faunus history, but the only ones who actually knew more than the basics were faunus themselves. Blake noted in particular a meek, frail looking girl sitting across the room from her, two long, thin rabbit ears seated on the top of her head, bending over on themselves as they neared the ends.

She was very shy, raising her hand slowly and shakily, speaking in a very quiet tone that even Blake struggled to hear coherently. Even so, her answers were all correct as Oobleck congratulated her. Blake suspected it was partly out of knowledge, but mostly of respect for speaking up in a largely human class. Her attention was pulled from the lecture in process to her partner, who had her arms resting on the desk in front of her and her head to the side nuzzled into them. Asleep.

Blake jabbed Yang in the ribs gently, enough to wake her up but not enough to grab the professors attention. Yang blinked wearily, and Blake couldn't tell if her exhaustion was catching up with her or if she was just plain bored. It seemed that boredom was the answer as Yang visibly perked up as Oobleck began to talk about Faunus disguising themselves as humans to avoid detection. Ears were harder to hide than a tail, and provided nobody paid close attention most faunus could get away with the facade without too much trouble. The professor breathlessly told of subterfuge and infiltration, faunus disguising their ears as part of a mask or underneath a hat, stuffing their tails inside their pants or bandaging it to their backs to keep up the illusion. Blake was very familiar with secrecy, having spent most of her life utilizing stealth to conceal her secrets.

Once again, Yang became her focus as Blake caught her partner eyeing her bow suspiciously. Blake did her best to ignore it, but was always aware of Yang not-so-subtly inspecting the material that sat on top of her head. She may as well just tackle Blake to the ground, it would be about as obvious.

"Yang, what are you doing?" Blake asked, keeping her voice to a low whisper.

"Hm? Oh, nothing." Yang replied, turning back to the class in a hurry. Blake rolled her eyes, knowing full well that Yang assumed Blake hadn't seen her scrutinizing the bow.

The rest of the lecture passed in relative normality, and before the most eager of students had even begun to rise from their seats, Professor Oobleck zoomed out of the room, leaving a trail of dust in his wake. Blake picked up her pad and slotted it neatly into her bag, in contrast to Yang who knocked everything back into the unorganised mess and led the duo out of the room amongst the sea of teenagers leaving their classes. Yang physically pushed and shoved her way through the crowds while Blake kept close behind her, using the brief gap between shoves to keep pace with her partner.

They made it back to the dorm in good time despite the congestion, and Blake noted with relief that Yang didn't seem to be worrying as much about Ruby. Or indeed, anyone else. They both retired to their beds in silence, with Yang continuing her studying and Blake reading her book in quiet comfort. One of the few times her partner was quiet was when she had important work to be doing, and Blake was thankful that she had the next few hours pretty much to herself seeing as Weiss wouldn't be back for a while.

She glanced over at the empty pair of beds, one hanging precariously by ropes that seemed to be held aloft only by Rubys belief that it was safe, and the impeccably neat one firmly rooted to the ground. It was a miracle that Weiss slept at all with that deathtrap hanging over her, but Blake wasn't entirely confident that she was safe herself. The books that held Yangs bed up were sturdy and thick, but the day they finally got proper bunk-beds wouldn't be a day too soon.

She turned back to her book and started to read, immersing herself in the world that someone else had created as Yang scribbled away above her. It seemed that the hype of the previous events had died down, and Blake was reminded that she had unfinished business with her partner. For now however, she was content to wait it out. The time would come soon enough.


	25. Chapter 25

Weiss was tired. She had just finished back-to-back classes, one physically exhausting and one mentally exhausting, they had left her drained. She hadn't been getting very much sleep since she became a part of the team for more reasons than one, as much as she disliked the wildly irresponsible team leader she was stuck with she had to admit that bunk-beds were a good idea. At least, for three of them.

Sighing with weariness, she thought it best to stop by on Ruby to check up on her condition, the girl could be so helpless sometimes. Nearly blowing them off the side of the cliff, coming that close to getting herself killed - once by Weiss and once by a giant stinger, launching herself towards a giant bird with the intent to decapitate it, not paying attention and almost falling off the roof of the Academy, very nearly freezing herself solid when she decided to touch Myrtenaster, the list went on and on. Ruby had spirit, heart and talent, there was no arguing about that, but she lacked social skills and more importantly, self-preservation. Maybe she was a little too confident of her abilities, as even despite her near-deaths she still charged headlong into things that required planning.

Weiss was used to planning.

She walked between the occasional student and teacher, bowing her head in respect at the latter and ignoring the former completely, too tired to give them a cold stare or a verbal beatdown. The afternoon sun illuminated the floor before her in squares, light filtering through the windows on the western side of the building. She squinted as she moved past them, brilliant blue eyes showing signs of fatigue no matter how perfect she made the rest of her appearance. At this point she was seriously considering sleeping elsewhere, even someplace as public as the library - at least that way her life wouldn't be in permanent danger of being crushed to a pulp by a bed.

A few minutes of contemplation later and the library was looking like a comfortable alternative to the dormroom bed, despite the lack of privacy. This point was reinforced only seconds after Weiss entered the infirmary to a cry of 'Hi Weiss!' and a sickeningly enthusiastic wave from the disabled girl. Weiss scowled under her breath, she did not need this right now. Of course, being the polite girl she was she swapped it for a false smile when she raised her head, standing next to her partner and trying to listen for key words between the rush of sentences Ruby was throwing at her. She made out 'Weiss', 'class' and 'faunus', with the last word eliciting a brief glare, not that Ruby was paying enough attention to notice. Weiss quickly brought back her smile, waiting patiently for Ruby to finish before asking calmly.

"How are you feeling?"

"It still hurts." The younger girl answered simply, her voice lower than before, something that in turn softened Weiss's expression. The heiress took two steps forwards, kneeling beside the wound and inspecting the bandage.

"Hmmm. It's to be expected. Who redressed your bandage?" She asked, scrutinizing the material.

"Yang did." Ruby replied, rummaging through her bag for something. Weiss clicked her tongue, gently dropping her own bag to the floor to begin neatly unwrapping the cloth. Her slender fingers slid between folds and untied knots with the clean efficiency she applied to all her activities, earning a surprised look from Ruby.

"Um, Weiss? What are you doing?" She asked, pausing her search and blinking twice.

"Fixing this atrocious excuse for a dressing." Weiss replied, disapproval evident in her voice. She caught Ruby flinching in the corner of her eye as she worked, tugging the bandage around the swollen knee as evenly as she could, taking care to enclose the entirety of the discoloured area securely in the fabric. She gently wove it round and round, pulling it firmly into a tight knot that she tucked underneath the topmost fold. She was running final checks to make sure her own work was optimal when Ruby quietly interrupted her with a shaky voice.

"Your hands are cold..." Ruby whimpered, looking at the floor in a nervous manner, afraid of Weiss's reaction. Her attention was forcibly and violently shifted to her partner, caught off guard with her eyes widening as she jumped at the harshness of Weiss's voice.

"What?"

The heiresses tone was laced with ice, and Ruby felt her words dry up in the back of her throat when she tried to speak. Weiss's gaze was frigid and hard, her eyes piercing directly into Rubys heart, she was suddenly scary. Ruby swallowed hard and tried again, her words making it out into the open air as a whisper.

"I-I didn't mean to...I'm sorry? Did I do something wrong?"

While Weiss's expression didn't change, her voice certainly did, losing some of its edge as the girl sighed deeply, fighting the urge to rub her face to wake herself up. She rested her hands on her hips instead, tilting her head and body so her hair fell from her back.

"No." She started, leaving the silence hanging for a few seconds while she closed her eyes. "You didn't do anything wrong. I'm sorry for snapping at you like that. I just-" Her eyes opened again, but her mouth was stopped by Rubys own.

"It's okay." The young girl said, almost pitifully quiet. "I know you didn't mean it." Her hands moved slowly through her belongings, clearly shaken by the hostile response. Weiss gave in, smearing her hand across her cheek in an attempt to push her fatigue away. She sat down on the foot of the bed, hiding the negative emotions boiling away beneath the guilt and regret that she found herself with. She didn't mean to snap, but she was tired of being likened to cold irregardless of how true it was.

"How have you been keeping yourself busy?" She asked, softer this time. Knowing that Ruby was soothed by calm voices, something she picked up from Yang on the rare occasions Ruby had nightmares, Weiss made sure to do the same. Yang would hold Ruby on her lap, stroke her sisters forehead softly and speak gently, fading Rubys crying out. Once, and only once, Weiss had been out late and came to the dorm, pausing outside the door and listening intently, hearing what seemed like singing coming from inside. She teased it open to see Yang holding Ruby in the very same way, softly singing what Weiss could only describe as a lullaby, full of reassurance and affection. Weiss could still remember the words Yang sang to the frightened little girl in her lap, how calming and tender her voice was that night.

_Don't worry, I've got you..._  
_Nothing will ever harm you... I'm close by, I'll stay here..._  
_Through all things I will be near..._

Even now as she remembered, Weiss admired the bond the two sisters shared. It gave her a precious glimpse into a world where you were loved by the people you cared about, something she never had the opportunity to feel no matter how much she wanted it. She shook her head, refusing to let the memories she hated so much come back. Instead she contented herself with listening to Ruby retelling her past few days, largely studying, drawing and sleeping. Although, Weiss listened intently at any mention of Blake as she still didn't entirely trust her teammate, and anything she could learn from Ruby was valuable no matter how obscure or unlikely it sounded.

"Actually Weiss, there is something I'd really like to talk to you about." Ruby began, her tone a lot more serious. Weiss perked up a little, resting her hands in her lap.

"Go on."

"It's important." Ruby said instinctively, blinking at herself when she realised that Weiss hadn't tried to brush her off or avoid a conversation.

"So it seems." Weiss replied, keeping her expression level. She watched Ruby fumble over her words a few times before her leader caught her composure and began strongly, a contrast to the scared little girl of five minutes ago.

"I want to talk to you about Blake." Ruby stopped there, not wanting to risk upsetting her partner or any of her team. Weiss leant in closer, her interest piqued. No doubt Ruby was waiting for a telltale sign to stop or continue, and Weiss obliged by gesturing with her hand to proceed.

"Well, you know about her shadowed past, don't you?" Weiss paused, considering Rubys words. She nodded, assuming that her partner was referring to Blakes concealment of her life.

"And you know how she...how she didn't move when that thing charged at her?"

Weiss nodded again, maintaining her curious posture despite the twinges of pain that pulled at her heart.

"Well, I've been doing some theorizing..." Ruby pulled out one of her notepads and flipped the pages, concentrating on the paper. She stopped, spun it around and handed it to Weiss, watching her partners face. Weiss held it steady and took in the mess before her, lines, words and bubbles all overlapping eachother in a confusing display of chaos. She took a minute to try and make sense of it, though she handed it back to Ruby in defeat and asking simply.

"What does any of that mean?"

"Put simply, it means that Blake knows something about what attacked us and she's not telling anyone else. I'm pretty sure it has something to do with Professor Ozpin too, since she only started challenging him like she did after we got back." Her voice cracked a little at the mention of Ozpin.

Weiss flinched mentally, wondering if Ruby knew just how close she was to the truth. Maybe she and Blake didn't need to tell their leader at all, perhaps she would find out on her own.

"Do you know what?" Weiss asked, already knowing the answer herself. She breathed a sigh of relief under her breath as Ruby shook her head firmly, a somewhat grim frown on her face.

"No, I don't have a clue. It looks like something important, but beyond that I can only guess. Really we need Blake to tell us herself, but I really doubt she would want to do that."

They stared down at the floor in unison, contemplating very different things. Ruby turned over many possibilities in her head, desperately wanting to help her teammate through whatever she had been through if anything at all. Weiss challenged herself whether she should cross the lines Blake had put down and tell her partner everything she knew, as much as she wanted to help Blake she felt that Ruby had a right to know as much as anyone else. The silence blanketed the room as they thought, each immersed in their own minds.

Ruby was the first to speak, determination full in her voice, something that surprised Weiss.

"We have to confront her about this."

Weiss blinked, stuttering out an 'Ah...' only to be interrupted by her leader once more.

"We have to help her overcome whatever fears or regrets she has regarding this thing. I don't want to think about what would happen if-..." Again her voice shrunk, the bravery vanishing in an instant. Weiss noticed she was shuddering slightly with unease that matched her eyes. Even now she blamed herself for what had happened, her heart was truly the purest Weiss had ever come across.

"If we couldn't get to her in time." The young girl finished, clearly trying not to worry herself any more than she already was. She hunched her shoulders, holding one hand over her mouth to stem the snivelling sounds that escaped from her lips. Her eyes closed, tears brimming at their corners that threatened to fall down her face, despite her best efforts to stop them. Her whole body shook as she tried to turn away from the thoughts, away from the consequences that she would go through if...it happened.

She must have looked terrible. She was supposed to be a leader, someone her team looked to for guidance, someone they respected and someone who gave them help when they needed it. But instead she was here, lying on a bed with her head in her hands, unable to stop her tears and unable to help her teammate when they needed it most. She couldn't have known how any of them felt about her, how they didn't blame her for what had happened. She believed it was her fault.

She felt a hand on her shoulder, holding it firmly in place. Looking up, she saw Weiss standing beside her, the heiresses beautiful blue eyes darkened by the fringe of pure white hair that partially obscured them from view. Ruby sniffed, wiping her eyes with her hands and waiting for her partner to say what she was going to say. She didn't need any queues, she just knew Weiss had something to get out.

"We'll always get to her in time." Weiss reaffirmed, giving Ruby the warmest smile her tired muscles could manage. The younger girl seemed to brighten up a little, as her sniffs became less frequent and her shaking slowly subsided, all because of a sentence and a smile. It was surreal to Weiss how something as trivial as that could affect someone so much. How something as minor as a hollow sentence could instill such comfort in someone if they believed it to be true. Ruby was the epitome of everything Weiss used to be, carefree and cheerful once upon a time before she learned about the harsh realities of living in a family at war.

"We will." Repeated Ruby, glancing down at her notepad for a second. She didn't move at Weiss's words, engrossed in trying to make sense of everything she had been through.

"We will."

Weiss picked up her bag quietly, giving her partner one last look of reassurance as she left to mull over her thoughts. The past few days had been hectic at best, and there was an insane amount to take in. Her plan had changed, she was going to library not to sleep, but to clear her head and to document everything she knew. As a happy coincidence it would give her a way to help her teammates should things be as they seemed, if something were to happen to her she would give them a way to learn of it and to understand it. She was told to leave a path behind her and that is exactly what she would do.

As to be expected, there were a fair number of students already at the library when Weiss arrived but she paid them no heed as she made her way towards the far end of the room, slotting herself between the shelves and scanning the spines for anything relating to 'Mental Psychology'. She had work to do.

* * *

Blake couldn't read any longer, her mind was working far too much for her to concentrate. Yang was still asleep, but the time of day meant that she couldn't contemplate at any of her usual haunts. The library would be full, the forest infested with students and the courtyard swarming with people. There was always the roof, but that would mean forcing her way back through the crowd of bodies just to get there, something that Blake didn't want to do right now. In a moment of decisiveness she rose from her bed, leaving the book lying on the cloth, grabbing her weapon and making for the door. She closed it slowly behind her and made her way down the corridor, heading towards the doorway closest to the northern cliff-edge.

Towards Forever Fall.


End file.
